The Cotton Mealybug Is Spreading along the Mediterranean: First Pest Detection in Italian Tomatoes

The cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is an extremely polyphagous invasive pest that can cause serious damages to cultivated plants. The pest is native to America but invaded Asian and Mediterranean countries during the last decades. Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill., Solanaceae) is an economic relevant crop worldwide and its production can be threatened by numerous insect pests including P. solenopsis. We recorded for the first time P. solenopsis in association with tomato in greenhouse crops and urban landscapes in Sicily (Italy) during the fall season in 2020. The species was identified as P. solenopsis based on the morphological characters and DNA amplification of an ≈800 bp portion of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) gene. The phylogenetic analysis among the obtained P. solenopsis mtCOI sequences with those already available in GenBank suggests Asian countries as a potential source of new introduction. This is the first record of P. solenopsis attacking tomato plants in Italy and may represent a potential threat for tomato production in Europe and nearby countries. For this reason, actions should be taken to avoid the uncontrolled spread of this alien species.

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Phenacoccus solenopsis (cotton mealybug).

10.1079/cpc.109097.20210100303 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Paris Lambdin

Keyword(s):

International Trade ◽

New Mexico ◽

Host Plants ◽

Original Description ◽

Invasive Pest ◽

Native Range ◽

Atriplex Canescens ◽

Phenacoccus Solenopsis ◽

Short Period ◽

Cotton Mealybug

Abstract This mealybug species has the ability to increase rapidly in population size and spread to cover vast areas where host plants occur, in a relatively short period of time. It has been reported from over 200 hosts. Since the original description of P. solenopsis from Atriplex canescens in New Mexico, USA in 1898, no reports on its presence were reported until 1967 (McKenzie, 1967; McDaniel, 1975). Later, Fuchs et al. (1991) reported small, sporadic populations on cotton in Runnels County, Texas, USA in 1988 that spread 75 to 200 miles from the original site with contiguous populations by 1990. With the increase in international trade over the last few decades, this invasive pest has been collected and identified on host material at international ports and in greenhouses outside its native range (Jansen, 2004). As such, P. solenopsis has become established in the Afrotropical, Australasian, Nearctic, Neotropical, and Oriental regions.

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The Roles of DNA Methyltransferases 1 (DNMT1) in Regulating Sexual Dimorphism in the Cotton Mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects11020121 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 121 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mohamed A.A. Omar ◽

Meizhen Li ◽

Feiling Liu ◽

Kang He ◽

Muhammad Qasim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sexual Dimorphism ◽

Dna Methyltransferase ◽

Dna Methyltransferases ◽

Invasive Pest ◽

Adult Males ◽

Small Interfering Rnas ◽

Phenacoccus Solenopsis ◽

Adult Females ◽

Cotton Mealybug ◽

Gravid Females

The cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis, is an invasive pest that can cause massive damage to many host plants of agricultural importance. P. solenopsis is highly polyphagous, and shows extreme sexual dimorphism between males and females. The functions of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) enzymes in the cotton mealybug have not been well studied. Here, we carried out an investigation of DNMTs in cotton mealybug to study their roles in sexual dimorphism. We found that the cotton mealybug has two copies of PsDnmt1, but Dnmt3 is absent. We then amplified the full-length cDNAs of PsDnmt1A (2225 bp) and PsDnmt1B (2862 bp) using rapid amplification cDNA ends (RACE). Quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR shows that both PsDnmt1A and PsDnmt1B are highly expressed in adult males, while the expression of PsDnmt1B is 30-fold higher in gravid females than in virgin females. We knocked down PsDnmt1A and PsDnmt1B with small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), and both genes were successfully down-regulated after 24 h or 72 h in adult females and pupa (t-test, p < 0.05). Down-regulating the expression of these two DNMT genes led to offspring lethality and abnormal body color in adult females. Furthermore, the silencing of PsDnmt1B induced abnormal wing development in emerged adult males. Our results provide evidence that PsDnmt1 plays a crucial role in regulating sexual dimorphism in the cotton mealybug.

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Biopesticides the sustainable way of organic and healthy tomato production

Gradus ◽

10.47833/2020.3.agr.005 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 26-31

Author(s):

Endre Pölös ◽

Csaba Szabó ◽

András Palkovics ◽

Fernanda Delgado

Keyword(s):

Health Status ◽

Plant Protection ◽

Bactericidal Effect ◽

Organic Production ◽

Chili Pepper ◽

Cultivated Plants ◽

Vegetable Production ◽

Average Yield ◽

Tomato Production ◽

Harmful Organisms

In our experiment, we used allelochemicals in vegetable production that can be incorporated in part or in whole into integrated pest management or in organic production. The plant extracts we used can be applied to the crop in the same way as conventional pesticides. Correlations can be found between the allelochemicals that we used in plant protection, the positive change in the average yield, the reduction of harmful organisms and the health status of the cultivated plants. Bioherbicide has been shown to be an effective weed control containing allelochemicals that inhibit photosynthesis.Extracts of extremely hot chili pepper (Capsicum annuum ssp.) varieties, aqueous solutions of essential oils of herbs and spices were used for plant protection in tomato plantations under open field conditions. The results show that chili pepper extract is a strong repellent, and lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil solution has a repellent, fungicidal and bactericidal effect at the same time.

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Red imported fire ant invasion reduces the populations of two banana insect pests in South China

Sociobiology ◽

10.13102/sociobiology.v63i3.1035 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 63 (3) ◽

pp. 889 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Lei Wang ◽

Zheng Wang ◽

Ling Zeng ◽

Yongyue Lu

Keyword(s):

South China ◽

Solenopsis Invicta ◽

Insect Pests ◽

Fire Ant ◽

Invasive Pest ◽

Red Imported Fire Ant ◽

Solenopsis Invicta Buren ◽

Banana Plantations ◽

Imported Fire Ant

As a severe invasive pest, red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) had important effects on ecosystem of its infected areas. Here, we surveyed impact of S. invicta on populations of two banana insect pests, banana skipper (Erion tatorus Evans) and banana stephanitis (Stephanitis typical Distant). The results showed that influences of S. invicta on population of E. tatorus and S. typical depend on weed coverage degree of banana plantations. Comparing to the areas without S. invicta, banana skipper population was reduced by 39.2%, 41.4% and 23.4% respectively, in high, moderate and low weed coverage of banana plantations with S. invicta invasion. Banana stephanitis population was reduced by 17.8%, 43.0% and 39.2% respectively, in high, moderate and low weed coverage of banana plantations with S. invicta invasion.

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