Clues that your mealybug is actually a predator
If you think it's a mealybug, it's probably actually a predator (a ladybird beetle larva or lacewing larva) if:
- It caught your eye because it was moving
- There is only one individual
- It's not on a living plant
- It's hanging out with "friends" smaller than itself (aphids, scale insects, whiteflies)
- It has a distinct head
- It has jaws
Predatorology:
If your predator looks uncannily like a mealybug, or has wax projections on its back and sides, it’s a ladybird larva.
If it looks like an unkempt ball of wax or debris with legs, it’s a lacewing larva.
