Mealybug on Coleus Mealybug on Coleus Scale insects and mealybugs are related, and they are really soft scales with small segmented bodies covered with white powdery wax. Filaments extend beyond the body, and some species which have longer filaments are called long-tailed mealybugs.
Most mealybugs are house or greenhouse pests and have similar life histories.
Eggs number 300 to 600 in number and are laid in a small waxy sack near the rear end of the body. These egg sacks are located in the axils of leaves on house plants. They hatch in about 10 days and then cover the entire plant.