Mealybug
Encyclopedia
Mealybugs are insects in the family
Pseudococcidae, unarmored scale insect
s found in moist, warm climates. They are considered pest
s as they feed on plant juices of greenhouse
plants, house plants and subtropical trees and also acts as a vector for several plant diseases.
Mealybugs are sexually dimorphic
, meaning that the sexes have distinct morphological differences. Females are nymphal, exhibit reduced morphology, and are wingless, though unlike many female scale insects, they often retain legs and can move. The females do not change completely and are likely to be neotenic
(exhibiting nymphal characteristics). Males are winged and do change completely during their lives. Since mealybugs (as well as all other Hemiptera
) are hemimetabolous insects, they do not undergo complete metamorphosis in the true sense of the word, i.e. there are no clear larval, pupal and adult stages, and the wings do not develop internally. However, male mealybugs do exhibit a radical change during their life cycle, changing from wingless, ovoid nymphs to "wasp-like" flying adults.
Mealybug females feed on plant sap, normally in roots or other crevices. They attach themselves to the plant and secrete a powdery wax
layer (therefore the name mealybug) used for protection while they suck the plant juices. The males on the other hand, are short-lived as they do not feed at all as adults and only live to fertilize the females. Male citrus mealy bugs fly to the females and resemble fluffy gnats
.
Some species
of mealybug lay their egg
s in the same waxy layer used for protection in quantities of 50–100; other species are born directly from the female.
The most serious pests are mealybugs that feed on citrus
; other species damage sugarcane
, grapes, pineapple
(Jahn et al. 2003), coffee trees
, cassava
, fern
s, cacti
, gardenia
s, papaya, Mulberry, sunflower and orchids. Mealybugs only tend to be serious pests in the presence of ants because the ants protect them from predators and parasites. Mealybugs also infest some species of carnivorous plant
such as Sarracenia
(pitcher plants), in such cases it is difficult to eradicate them without repeated applications of insecticide
such as diazinon
. Small infestations may not inflict significant damage. In larger amounts though, they can induce leaf drop.
Fossil
specimens of Acropyga
genus ant
s have been recovered from the Burdigalian
stage Dominican amber
deposits and several individuals are preserved carrying the extinct mealybug genus Electromyrmococcus
. These fossils represent the oldest recorded record of the symbiosis
between mealybugs and Acropyga species ants.
On the University of Florida
/ Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
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Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Pseudococcidae, unarmored scale insect
Scale insect
The scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, generally classified as the superfamily Coccoidea. There are about 8,000 species of scale insects.-Ecology:...
s found in moist, warm climates. They are considered pest
Pest (animal)
A pest is an animal which is detrimental to humans or human concerns. It is a loosely defined term, often overlapping with the related terms vermin, weeds, parasites and pathogens...
s as they feed on plant juices of greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
plants, house plants and subtropical trees and also acts as a vector for several plant diseases.
Distribution
Mealybugs occur in all parts of the world. They are a large number of species in the Palearctic ecozone and fewer in the Neotropic ecozone.Description
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
, meaning that the sexes have distinct morphological differences. Females are nymphal, exhibit reduced morphology, and are wingless, though unlike many female scale insects, they often retain legs and can move. The females do not change completely and are likely to be neotenic
Neoteny
Neoteny , also called juvenilization , is one of the two ways by which paedomorphism can arise. Paedomorphism is the retention by adults of traits previously seen only in juveniles, and is a subject studied in the field of developmental biology. In neoteny, the physiological development of an...
(exhibiting nymphal characteristics). Males are winged and do change completely during their lives. Since mealybugs (as well as all other Hemiptera
Hemiptera
Hemiptera is an order of insects most often known as the true bugs , comprising around 50,000–80,000 species of cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, shield bugs, and others...
) are hemimetabolous insects, they do not undergo complete metamorphosis in the true sense of the word, i.e. there are no clear larval, pupal and adult stages, and the wings do not develop internally. However, male mealybugs do exhibit a radical change during their life cycle, changing from wingless, ovoid nymphs to "wasp-like" flying adults.
Mealybug females feed on plant sap, normally in roots or other crevices. They attach themselves to the plant and secrete a powdery wax
Wax
thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...
layer (therefore the name mealybug) used for protection while they suck the plant juices. The males on the other hand, are short-lived as they do not feed at all as adults and only live to fertilize the females. Male citrus mealy bugs fly to the females and resemble fluffy gnats
Gnats
Gnats may be:*Plural of Gnat*GNATS the GNU bug tracking system*Folland Gnat Aircraft...
.
Some species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of mealybug lay their egg
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
s in the same waxy layer used for protection in quantities of 50–100; other species are born directly from the female.
The most serious pests are mealybugs that feed on citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
; other species damage sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
, grapes, pineapple
Pineapple
Pineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...
(Jahn et al. 2003), coffee trees
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
, cassava
Cassava
Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
, fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s, cacti
Cacti
-See also:* RRDtool The underlying software upon which Cacti is built* MRTG The original Multi Router Traffic Grapher from which RRDtool was "extracted".* Munin -External links:******...
, gardenia
Gardenia
Gardenia is a genus of 142 species of flowering plants in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, southern Asia, Australasia and Oceania....
s, papaya, Mulberry, sunflower and orchids. Mealybugs only tend to be serious pests in the presence of ants because the ants protect them from predators and parasites. Mealybugs also infest some species of carnivorous plant
Carnivorous plant
Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods. Carnivorous plants appear adapted to grow in places where the soil is thin or poor in nutrients, especially nitrogen, such as acidic...
such as Sarracenia
Sarracenia
Sarracenia is a genus comprising 8 to 11 species of North American pitcher plants. The genus belongs to the family Sarraceniaceae, which also contain the closely allied genera Darlingtonia and Heliamphora....
(pitcher plants), in such cases it is difficult to eradicate them without repeated applications of insecticide
Insecticide
An insecticide is a pesticide used against insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against the eggs and larvae of insects respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and the household. The use of insecticides is believed to be one of the major factors behind...
such as diazinon
Diazinon
Diazinon , a colorless to dark brown liquid, is a thiophosphoric acid ester developed in 1952 by Ciba-Geigy, a Swiss chemical company...
. Small infestations may not inflict significant damage. In larger amounts though, they can induce leaf drop.
Fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
specimens of Acropyga
Acropyga
Acropyga is a genus of small formicine ants.Some species can be indirect pests. A. acutiventris, which is found from India to Australia, tends subterranean, root-feeding mealybugs of the species Xenococcus annandalei. Living, gravid females are carried in the jaws of A...
genus ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s have been recovered from the Burdigalian
Burdigalian
The Burdigalian is, in the geologic timescale, an age or stage in the early Miocene. It spans the time between 20.43 ± 0.05 Ma and 15.97 ± 0.05 Ma...
stage Dominican amber
Dominican amber
Dominican amber is amber from the Dominican Republic. Resin from the extinct species Hymenaea protera is the source of Dominican amber and probably of most amber found in the tropics....
deposits and several individuals are preserved carrying the extinct mealybug genus Electromyrmococcus
Electromyrmococcus
Electromyrmococcus is an extinct genus of mealybug in the Pseudococcidae subfamily Rhizoecinae. The genus currently contains three species, all from the early Miocene, Burdigalian stage, Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola....
. These fossils represent the oldest recorded record of the symbiosis
Symbiosis
Symbiosis is close and often long-term interaction between different biological species. In 1877 Bennett used the word symbiosis to describe the mutualistic relationship in lichens...
between mealybugs and Acropyga species ants.
Genera
- Acaciacoccus
- Acinicoccus
- Acrochordonus
- Adelosoma
- Agastococcus
- Albertinia
- Allomyrmococcus
- Allotrionymus
- Amonostherium
- Anaparaputo
- Anisococcus
- Annulococcus
- Anthelococcus
- Antonina
- Antoninella
- Antoninoides
- Apodastococcus
- Artemicoccus
- Asaphococcus
- Asphodelococcus
- Asteliacoccus
- Atriplicicoccus
- Atrococcus
- Australicoccus
- Australiputo
- Balanococcus
- Bessenayla
- Bimillenia
- Birendracoccus
- Boninococcus
- Boreococcus
- Bouhelia
- Brasiliputo
- Brevennia
- Brevicoccus
- Callitricoccus
- Calyptococcus
- Cannococcus
- Capitisetella
- Cataenococcus
- Chaetococcus
- Chaetotrionymus
- Chileputo
- Chlorococcus
- Chnaurococcus
- Chorizococcus
- Chryseococcus
- Cintococcus
- Circaputo
- Cirnecoccus
- ClavicoccusClavicoccusClavicoccus is a genus of insect in family Pseudococcidae. It contains the following species:*Clavicoccus erinaceus Ferris, 1948*Clavicoccus tribulus Ferris, 1948...
- Coccidohystrix
- Coccura
- Coleococcus
- Colombiacoccus
- Conicosoma
- Conulicoccus
- Coorongia
- Cormiococcus
- Criniticoccus
- Crisicoccus
- Crocydococcus
- Cryptoripersia
- Cucullococcus
- Cyperia
- Cypericoccus
- Cyphonococcus
- Dawa
- Delococcus
- Delottococcus
- Densispina
- Discococcus
- Distichlicoccus
- Diversicrus
- Drymococcus
- Dysmicoccus
- Eastia
- Ehrhornia
- ElectromyrmococcusElectromyrmococcusElectromyrmococcus is an extinct genus of mealybug in the Pseudococcidae subfamily Rhizoecinae. The genus currently contains three species, all from the early Miocene, Burdigalian stage, Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola....
- Epicoccus
- Erimococcus
- Eriocorys
- Erioides
- Erium
- Eucalyptococcus
- Eumirococcus
- Eumyrmococcus
- Eupeliococcus
- Euripersia
- Eurycoccus
- Exilipedronia
- Farinococcus
- Ferrisia
- Ferrisicoccus
- Fijicoccus
- Fonscolombia
- Formicococcus
- Gallulacoccus
- Geococcus
- Glycycnyza
- Gomezmenoricoccus
- GouxiaGouxiaGouxia danielaferreroae is a species of mealybug that lives in France. It was placed in a monotypic genus by Lucien Goux in 1989, but the genus name he used, Giraudia, was a junior homonym of at least two other animal genera. The genus was renamed Gouxia in his honour in 2009....
- Greenoripersia
- Grewiacoccus
- Hadrococcus
- Heliococcus
- Heterococcopsis
- Heterococcus
- Heteroheliococcus
- Hippeococcus
- Hopefoldia
- Humococcus
- Hypogeococcus
- Iberococcus
- Idiococcus
- Indococcus
- Inopicoccus
- Ityococcus
- Kenmorea
- Kermicus
- Kiritshenkella
- Lachnodiella
- Lachnodiopsis
- Lacombia
- Laingiococcus
- Laminicoccus
- Lankacoccus
- Lantanacoccus
- Lenania
- Leptococcus
- Leptorhizoecus
- Liucoccus
- Lomatococcus
- Londiania
- Longicoccus
- Maconellicoccus
- Macrocepicoccus
- Maculicoccus
- Madacanthococcus
- Madagasia
- Madangiacoccus
- Madeurycoccus
- Malaicoccus
- Malekoccus
- Mammicoccus
- Marendellea
- Mascarenococcus
- Maskellococcus
- Mauricoccus
- Melanococcus
- Metadenopsis
- Metadenopus
- Miconicoccus
- Mirococcopsis
- Mirococcus
- Miscanthicoccus
- Misericoccus
- Mizococcus
- Mollicoccus
- Mombasinia
- Moystonia
- Mutabilicoccus
- Nairobia
- Natalensia
- Neochavesia
- Neoclavicoccus
- Neoripersia
- Neosimmondsia
- Neotrionymus
- Nesococcus
- Nesopedronia
- Nesticoccus
- Nipaecoccus
- Novonilacoccus
- Octococcus
- Odacoccus
- Ohiacoccus
- Oracella
- Orococcus
- Orstomicoccus
- Oxyacanthus
- Palaucoccus
- Palmicultor
- Paludicoccus
- Pandanicola
- Papuacoccus
- Paracoccus
- Paradiscococcus
- Paradoxococcus
- Paraferrisia
- Paramococcus
- Paramonostherium
- Paramyrmococcus
- Parapaludicoccus
- Parapedronia
- Paraputo
- Pararhodania
- Paratrionymus
- Parkermicus
- Paulianodes
- Pedrococcus
- Pedronia
- Peliococcopsis
- Peliococcus
- Pellizzaricoccus
- Penthococcus
- Peridiococcus
- Phenacoccus
- PhyllococcusPhyllococcus oahuensisPhyllococcus oahuensis was a species of mealybug in the family Pseudococcidae, and the only species in the genus Phyllococcus. It was endemic to Hawaii....
- Pilococcus
- Planococcoides
- Planococcus
- Pleistocerarius
- Plotococcus
- Poecilococcus
- Polystomophora
- Porisaccus
- Porococcus
- Prorhizoecus
- Prorsococcus
- Pseudantonina
- PseudococcusPseudococcusPseudococcus is a genus of unarmoured scale insects in the family Pseudococcidae containing more than 150 species.-Species:Species include:*Pseudococcus aberrans*Pseudococcus acirculus*Pseudococcus affinis*Pseudococcus africanus...
- Pseudorhizoecus
- Pseudorhodania
- Pseudoripersia
- Pseudotrionymus
- Puto
- Pygmaeococcus
- Quadrigallicoccus
- Rastrococcus
- Renicaula
- Rhizoecus
- Rhodania
- Ripersia
- Ritsemia
- Rosebankia
- Saccharicoccus
- Sarococcus
- Scaptococcus
- Seabrina
- Serrolecanium
- Seyneria
- Spartinacoccus
- Sphaerococcus
- Spilococcus
- Spinococcus
- Stachycoccus
- Stemmatomerinx
- Stipacoccus
- Strandanna
- Stricklandina
- Strombococcus
- Synacanthococcus
- Syrmococcus
- Tangicoccus
- Tasmanicoccus
- Telocorys
- Tibetococcus
- Tomentocera
- Trabutina
- Tridiscus
- Trimerococcus
- Trionymus
- Trochiscococcus
- Turbinococcus
- Tylococcus
- Tympanococcus
- Ventrispina
- Villosicoccus
- Volvicoccus
- Vryburgia
- Xenococcus
- Yudnapinna
See also
- Maconellicoccus hirsutusMaconellicoccus hirsutusThe Maconellicoccus hirsutus, is a pest of many plants, trees, and shrubs. It infests hibiscus, citrus, coffee, sugar cane, annonas, plums, guava, mango, okra, sorrel, teak, mora, pigeon pea, peanut, grapevine, maize, asparagus, chrysanthemum, beans, cotton, soybean, cocoa, and many other plants...
- pink hibiscus mealybug, grape mealybug - Paracoccus marginatusParacoccus marginatusParacoccus marginatus, commonly known as the papaya mealybug, is a small sap-sucking insect in the Pseudococcidae family. It is found on a number of different hosts including economically important tropical fruit trees and various ornamental plants....
- papaya mealybug - Phyllococcus oahuensisPhyllococcus oahuensisPhyllococcus oahuensis was a species of mealybug in the family Pseudococcidae, and the only species in the genus Phyllococcus. It was endemic to Hawaii....
- Planococcus citri - citrus mealybug
- Pseudococcus viburni - obscure mealybug
Further reading
- Jahn, G. C. and J.W. Beardsley 1994. Big-headed ants, Pheidole megacephala: Interference with the biological control of gray pineapple mealybugs. In D.F. Williams [ed.] "Exotic Ants: Biology, Impact and Control of Introduced Species." Westview Press, Oxford, 199-205.
- Jahn, G. C. and J.W. Beardsley 1998. Presence / absence sampling of mealybugs, ants, and major predators in pineapple. J. Plant Protection in the Tropics 11(1):73-79.
- Jahn, Gary C., J. W. Beardsley and H. González-Hernández 2003. A review of the association of ants with mealybug wilt disease of pineapple. Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society. 36:9-28.
External links
- NCIPM (National Centre for Integrated Pest Management) - Cotton Mealybugs
- BBC gardening advice, mealybugs
- CISR - Vine Mealybug Center for Invasive Species Research summary on Vine Mealybug
On the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
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