October 2014. There were suggestions of pineapple mealybug, Dysmicoccus, or the mite, Steneotarsonemus/Doichotetranychus.

Later, the images were sent to Mike Smith at Maroochy Research Station, Nambour, Queensland, to comment and he said the following:

They look to me like they’ve harvested the fruit and left the tops behind for planting material. The original plant, having been harvested, is starting to show signs of senescence. Not a disease but a natural process.