Abstract
P. viburni, commonly known as obscure mealybug, is an unarmoured scale insect and a common pest in the UK, Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, the French Riviera, Iran, California and Chile. It can affect a number of fruit and nursery plants including apples, tomatoes, orchids and cacti and cause substantial damage to fruit orchards and vineyards. The degree of polyphagy of P. viburni, combined with its numerous economically important host-plants, have meant that it began to be carried on infested plant material between countries from an early date. The species was first recorded outside South America, in France by Signoret (1875), and its subsequent spread followed the trade routes between Europe and the rest of the world; the species is still increasing its geographical range. While obscure mealybug does not spread widely by its own means, human transport of infested plant material disseminates it over long distances very effectively. It has successfully adapted to life in a variety of ecological conditions and in the higher latitudes where it cannot survive winter outdoors, it thrives in greenhouses (Schoen and Martin, 1999).
Inventaire préliminaire des ennemis naturels de Pseudococcus viburni (Hemiptera, Pseudococcidae)
