Mealybug species (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae) on soursop and sugar apple (Annonaceae) in North-East Brazil, with description of a new species of Pseudococcus Westwood.
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.
['DA Silva|Vitor C Pacheco|VCP|', 'Kaydan|Mehmet Bora|MB|', 'DA Silva-Torres|Christian S A|CSA|', 'Torres|Jorge Braz|JB|']
D000818:Animals D031041:Annona D029061:Annonaceae D001938:Brazil D006430:Hemiptera D027845:Malus D000073893:Sugars
Hemiptera, Annona spp., DNA barcoding, Neotropical region, Pernambuco state, scale insects