I don't recognize that as mealy bugs, no idea what it is. I'd separate these 2 plants from any other, like put them in another room, if it were me.

Hopefully others will chime in.

Not mealy bugs, but those little hairs make me wonder if your plant could have brushed against an Opuntia cactus, by any chance?

That's odd, never seen anything like that before!

Just a side note regarding spotting mealies......they can be very difficult to find on many pants, but I find the best way if spotting them is to first check your plants for sooty mold, a black powdery covering that forms on the mealies poo. You can then often find the culprit and his pals tucked away in a nearby crevice whilst trying desperately not to be seen....and they're usually hanging around above the black mouldy area!

Gill UK

I have never seen anything like this before. My first thought was cactus spines as well. Mealy bugs are white and oval usually enveloped in white fuzz, almost like wet cotton. When you touch them with an alcohol soaked qtip they will turn orange-red. They tend to hang out in crevassses.

If you don't have any cacti definitely separate this plant from any others. Perhaps try to remove it carefully with tweezers.

-Erica

Lol! Better get the tweezers out now, glad you solved it :))

Gill UK

Give the plant a finger to bite down on before you pull out the spines!

ez

Some masking tape may be the easiest way to extract those gently. The tiniest spines are the meanest. I've managed to spread them around on my clothes, furniture, tools, etc. before I even noticed them on my hands and then I'm reminded for days :/

The last time I reported my microdasys, I used silicone tongs to save my gloves, but ended up ruining the tongs. Those buggers can pierce just about anything, and if not pierce, then cling in wait for unwitting contact.

I've learned to keep them far from where anything will touch them. I'm sure the work crew was confused at the end of their day by random invisible itching and irritation. I use duct tape on skin, fabric, etc. Washing just tends to spread it around.