Mealybugs identified as cause of mysterious pasture dieback costing graziers billions in Qld, NSW

The culprit behind pasture dieback which began in Queensland has finally been identified as mealybugs.  (ABC Wide Bay: Abbey Halter)

For more than a decade, graziers across Queensland have been baffled by a mystery murderer in their paddocks — watching helplessly as their lush green pastures turned yellow and died without explanation.  

With a crime scene between 40,000 and 4.4 million hectares in size, researchers struggled to identify the culprit, responsible for at least $2 billion in lost productivity.