Identification of mealybug pest species (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in Egypt and France, using a DNA barcoding approach

2012 ◽  
Vol 102 (5) ◽  
pp. 515-523 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Abd-Rabou ◽  
H. Shalaby ◽  
J.-F. Germain ◽  
N. Ris ◽  
P. Kreiter ◽  
...  

AbstractPseudococcidae (mealybugs) is a large taxonomic group, including a number of agronomic pests. Taxonomic identification of mealybug species is a recurrent problem and represents a major barrier to the establishment of adequate pest management strategies. We combined molecular analysis of three DNA markers (28S-D2, cytochrome oxidase I and internal transcribed spacer 2) with morphological examination, for the identification of 176 specimens collected from 40 mealybug populations infesting various crops and ornamental plants in Egypt and France. This combination of DNA and morphological analyses led to the identification of 17 species: seven in Egypt (Planococcus citri (Risso), Planococcus ficus (Signoret), Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green), Ferrisia virgata (Cockerell), Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley, Phenacoccus parvus Morrison and Saccharicoccus sacchari (Cockerell)) and 11 in France (Planococcus citri, Pseudococcus viburni Signoret, Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni-Tozzetti), Pseudococcus comstocki (Kuwana), Rhizoecus amorphophalli Betrem, Trionymus bambusae (Green), Balanococcus diminutus (Leonardi), Phenacoccus madeirensis Green, Planococcus vovae (Nasonov), Dysmicoccus brevipes (Cockerell) and Phenacoccus aceris Signoret), Pl. citri being found in both countries. We also found genetic variation between populations considered to belong to the same species, justifying further investigation of the possible occurrence of complexes of cryptic taxa.

2012 ◽  
Vol 102 (5) ◽  
pp. 524-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.C.G. Correa ◽  
J-F. Germain ◽  
T. Malausa ◽  
T. Zaviezo

AbstractMealybugs are major pests of grapevines worldwide. They cause economic losses by lowering the cosmetic value of fruits, reducing yields, transmitting viruses and resulting in the quarantine or rejection of produce in international trade. Knowledge of the species present in a vineyard is important for the adjustment of management strategies. We surveyed and accurately characterized the mealybugs infesting vineyards in one of the main production areas of Chile; 164 mealybugs were sampled from 26 vineyards in four regions of Chile and identified by DNA sequencing for two markers (cytochrome oxidase I and internal transcribed spacer 2) and morphological examination.Pseudococcus viburni(Signoret) was the most common species, followed byPseudococcus meridionalisPrado andPseudococcus cribataGonzález. Molecular variability at the COI and ITS2 loci was observed in bothP. viburniandP. cribata. A comparison of haplotypes ofP. viburniworldwide provides support for a recent hypothesis that this species is native to South America, a finding with direct consequences for management. NeitherPseudococcus longispinus(Targioni & Tozzetti) norPlanococcus ficusSignoret were found.


2009 ◽  
Vol 99 (5) ◽  
pp. 537-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
V.S. Nagrare ◽  
S. Kranthi ◽  
V.K. Biradar ◽  
N.N. Zade ◽  
V. Sangode ◽  
...  

AbstractA survey was conducted in 47 locations in nine cotton-growing states of India to identify the composition of mealybug species occurring on cotton. Results of the taxonomic study showed that two mealybug species, the solenopsis mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis (Tinsley), and the pink hibiscus mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green), were found to infest cotton plants from all nine cotton growing states of the country. However, P. solenopsis was found to be the predominant mealybug species, comprising 95% of the samples examined. P. solenopsis, which was hitherto not reported to occur in India, now appears to be widespread on cotton in almost all cotton-growing states of the country. P. solenopsis is an exotic species originated from the USA and was reported to damage cotton and crops of 14 families. This report discusses the implications of the introduction of this exotic polyphagous pest species and the necessary steps to mitigate its potential threat to agriculture in India.


Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4604 (3) ◽  
pp. 525 ◽  
Author(s):  
VITOR C. PACHECO DA SILVA ◽  
MEHMET BORA KAYDAN ◽  
CHRISTIAN S. A. DA SILVA-TORRES ◽  
JORGE BRAZ TORRES

Several species of Annonaceae are economically important fruit-tree crops in North-East Brazil, including Pernambuco state. However, in several regions within the state, the fruits are commonly infested by mealybugs (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae). There is a lack of information about the mealybug species damaging this produce, so a survey of mealybug species associated with commercial sugar apple (Annona squamosa L.) and soursop (A. muricata L.) was conducted in the main production areas. The species Ferrisia virgata (Cockerell), Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green), Planococcus minor (Maskell), Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley and Pseudococcus jackbeardsleyi Gimpel & Miller were found on both Annona species. Dysmicoccus brevipes (Cockerell), Ferrisia dayslirii Kaydan & Gullan and Ferrisia malvastra (MacDaniel) were found only on soursop; and Ferrisia cristinae Kaydan & Gullan, Planococcus citri (Risso), Pseudococcus annonae sp. n. Pacheco da Silva & Kaydan and Pseudococcus sp. were found only on sugar apple. The species F. cristinae, F. dasylirii, F. malvastra and Ph. solenopsis are recorded infesting these hosts for the first time. The most abundant mealybug species found were F. virgata, Pl. minor, Ps. jackbeardsleyi and M. hirsutus, often forming heavy infestations and damaging the fruits. A new species, Pseudococcus annonae sp. n. Pacheco da Silva & Kaydan, is described and illustrated, and an identification key to the mealybug genera occurring on annonaceous species in the Neotropical region is also provided. 


HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 509e-509
Author(s):  
Robert P. Rice

The Cal Poly philosophy of “Learn and Understand by Doing” has been integrated with problem-based learning and the use of the latest technology to produce a class that closely simulates real-life pest control situations. Goals of the class, Disease and Pest Control Systems for Ornamental Plants, are to teach students pest monitoring, control and problem solving techniques, the use of resources including the internet and journals, and the use of the latest pest control equipment and application techniques. Students are shown pest situations and then work in groups to diagnose the problem, investigate management strategies, apply control measures, and monitor results. Weekly class presentations inform the class of the various projects and help to teach the class organization and presentation skills. Student evaluations and test performance have demonstrated that students achieve class objectives substantially better with the problem-based learning approach than with the previous lecture-based approach to the class.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fathiya M. Khamis ◽  
Fidelis L. O. Ombura ◽  
Inusa J. Ajene ◽  
Komivi S. Akutse ◽  
Sevgan Subramanian ◽  
...  

AbstractWhiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) are devastating agricultural pests of economic importance vectoring pathogenic plant viruses. Knowledge on their diversity and distribution in Kenya is scanty, limiting development of effective sustainable management strategies. The present study is aimed at identifying whitefly pest species present in Kenya across different agroecological zones and establish predictive models for the most abundant species in Africa. Whiteflies were sampled in Kenya from key crops known to be severely infested and identified using 16S rRNA markers and complete mitochondrial genomes. Four whitefly species were identified: Aleyrodes proletella, Aleurodicus dispersus, Bemisia afer and Trialeurodesvaporariorum, the latter being the most dominant species across all the agroecology. The assembly of complete mitogenomes and comparative analysis of all 13 protein coding genes confirmed the identities of the four species. Furthermore, prediction spatial models indicated high climatic suitability of T. vaporariorum in Africa, Europe, Central America, parts of Southern America, parts of Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Consequently, our findings provide information to guide biosecurity agencies on protocols to be adopted for precise identification of pest whitefly species in Kenya to serve as an early warning tool against T. vaporariorum invasion into unaffected areas and guide appropriate decision-making on their management.


Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 290
Author(s):  
Hua-Yan Chen ◽  
Hong-Liang Li ◽  
Hong Pang ◽  
Chao-Dong Zhu ◽  
Yan-Zhou Zhang

The cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is an emerging invasive insect pest in China. Hymenopteran parasitoids are the key organisms for suppressing populations of P. solenopsis in the field, and therefore could be used as biological agents. Accurate identification of the associated parasitoids is the critical step to assess their potential role in biological control. In this study, we facilitated the identification of the parasitoid composition of P. solenopsis using an integrated approach of species delimitation, combining morphology with molecular data. Eighteen Hymenoptera parasitoid species belonging to 11 genera of four families are recognized based on morphological examination and molecular species delimitation of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 1 (COI) gene and the 28S rDNA using the automatic barcode gap discovery (ABGD) and the Bayesian Poisson tree processes model (bPTP). Among these species, eight species are primary parasitoids with Aenasius arizonensis (Girault) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) being the dominant taxon, while the other 10 species are probably hyperparasitoids, with a prevalence of Cheiloneurus nankingensis Li & Xu (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). These results indicate that parasitoid wasps associated with P. solenopsis from China are diverse and the integrated taxonomic approach applied in this study could enhance the accurate identification of these parasitoids that should be assessed in future biological control programs.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (11) ◽  
pp. 2087 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng-Yu Jin ◽  
Lu Tian ◽  
Lei Chen ◽  
Xiao-Yue Hong

Understanding pest species composition and their geographic distribution of important spider mites is fundamental and indispensable to establish an integrated pest management program. From a long-term survey during 2008–2017 in mainland China, we found that Tetranychus truncatus was the most frequently sampled Tetranychus spider mite (48.5%), followed by T. pueraricola (21.2%), T. kanzawai (12.5%), T. urticae (red) (5.7%) and T. urticae (green) (4.5%). Among them, T. truncatus was the major mite pest in the north of China. T. kanzawai was the dominant species in the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River Region and T. pueraricola was the most important species in the southwest region. Other common and serious pests include Amphitetranychus viennensis (6.8%) and Panonychus citri (3.8%). This pattern was largely different from that in 2002–2004, when T. urticae (green and red) was believed to be the most serious mite pest. The factors involved in the change of species composition are not clear and need more exploration. We suggested that the increasing corn planting range may be partly responsible for the conversion of dominant species from other spider mites to T. truncatus. Further research on the mechanisms underlying the change of dominant species will help develop integrated management strategies.


Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 994
Author(s):  
Alina S. Puig ◽  
Sarah Wurzel ◽  
Stephanie Suarez ◽  
Jean-Philippe Marelli ◽  
Jerome Niogret

Theobroma cacao is affected by viruses on every continent where the crop is cultivated, with the most well-known ones belonging to the Badnavirus genus. One of these, cacao mild mosaic virus (CaMMV), is present in the Americas, and is transmitted by several species of Pseudococcidae (mealybugs). To determine which species are associated with virus-affected cacao plants in North America, and to assess their potential as vectors, mealybugs (n = 166) were collected from infected trees in Florida, and identified using COI, ITS2, and 28S markers. The species present were Pseudococcus jackbeardsleyi (38%; n = 63), Maconellicoccus hirsutus (34.3%; n = 57), Pseudococcus comstocki (15.7%; n = 26), and Ferrisia virgata (12%; n = 20). Virus acquisition was assessed by testing mealybug DNA (0.8 ng) using a nested PCR that amplified a 500 bp fragment of the movement protein–coat protein region of CaMMV. Virus sequences were obtained from 34.6 to 43.1% of the insects tested; however, acquisition did not differ among species, X2 (3, N = 166) = 0.56, p < 0.91. This study identified two new mealybug species, P. jackbeardsleyi and M. hirsutus, as potential vectors of CaMMV. This information is essential for understanding the infection cycle of CaMMV and developing effective management strategies.


2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 236 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Selvaraj ◽  
R. Sundararaj ◽  
T. Venkatesan ◽  
Chandish R. Ballal ◽  
S. K. Jalali ◽  
...  

A invasive rugose spiraling whitefly (RSW) <em>Aleurodicus rugioperculatus</em> Martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) was found infesting coconut, banana, custard apple and several ornamental plants in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala for the first time in India. The identity of the pest species was determined through morphological and molecular tools. Furthermore cytochrome c oxidase-I gene (658 bp) of RSW was sequenced (GenBank accession number KY209909) which would serve as an ideal molecular diagnostic marker for its identification irrespective of its phenotypic plasticity. During the survey, several natural enemies were recorded and maximum parasitism was recorded by <em>Encarsia guadeloupae</em> Viggiani (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) and its COI gene was sequenced and deposited as <em>Encarsia</em> sp. (GenBank accession number KY223606). Per cent parasitism ranged from 20.0 to 60.0 % in different collection locations, highest parasitism being recorded in Kerala as compared to other states. The predators recorded were <em>Mallada</em> sp., few coccinellids and predatory mites. This communication is the first report of the rugose spiraling whitefly, its host plant range and associated natural enemies in India.


2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (8) ◽  
pp. 647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. B. Dyer ◽  
Gunnar Keppel ◽  
Marika Tuiwawa ◽  
Sainivalati Vido ◽  
Hans Juergen Boehmer

Invasive ornamental plants are a global problem that can have severe impacts on native biodiversity, especially on islands. To determine whether the invasive, ornamental ivory-cane palm Pinanga coronata could be displacing native biodiversity, we investigated its co-distribution with native tree ferns in a Fijian rainforest. We recorded the abundances of P. coronata and tree ferns and related these to environmental variables using linear models and generalised linear mixed-effect models (GLMMs). Distance to an introduction site was the most significant factor predicting the palm’s distribution and abundance, suggesting that its current distribution is limited by insufficient time for wider dispersal. P. coronata cover was strongly and negatively related with the abundance of native tree ferns and the palm may therefore be displacing native tree ferns. This relationship was strongest with tree fern seedlings and weakest with mature tree ferns, implying that the palm is preventing the establishment of native tree ferns. This study thus provides strong circumstantial evidence that P. coronata is progressively displacing native tree ferns by preventing seedling establishment and poses a severe threat to Fiji’s native biodiversity and ecological processes. Therefore, urgent management is required to control and prevent the further spread of P. coronata and its negative impacts on native plant biodiversity. Management should involve an initial feasibility study to determine the effectiveness of various management strategies, followed by targeted control and/or eradication campaigns and long-term monitoring. Ultimately, well implemented legislation to prevent the spread and introduction of P. coronata and other ornamental plants will be crucial to protect native biodiversity in Fiji and elsewhere.


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