Australian Biological Resources Study

Australian Faunal Directory

Species Planococcus citri (Risso, 1813)

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Species Planococcus citri (Risso, 1813)

Citrus Mealybug, Cochonilha-algodao, Cotonet, Kimhit Hehadar, Piojo De Los Citricos

 

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

 

Generic Combinations

 

Distribution

States

Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia


Ecological Descriptors

Sap-feeder.

 

ID Keys

(Marotta, S. & Pagano, G., 1997) [114] (female; Italian mealybugs on Geranium sp.); (Kosztarab, M., 1996) [169] (female; northeastern North USA); (Williams, D.J. & Granara de Willink, M.C., 1992) [393] (female; Central and South America); (Cox, J.M., 1989) [9] (female; world); (Williams, D.J. & Watson, G.W., 1988) [163] (female; tropical South Pacific region); (Cox, J.M., 1987) [74] (female; New Zealand); (Cox, J.M. & Ben-Dov, Y., 1986) [482] (female; Mediterranean basin); (Williams, D.J., 1985) [274] (female; Australia); (McKenzie, H.L., 1967) [280] (female; U.S.A., California); (Beardsley, J.W., 1966) [432] (female; Federated States of Micronesia); (Beardsley, J.W., 1960) [214] (male; Hawaii); (Ferris, G.F., 1950) [164] (female; North America); (Borchsenius, N.S., 1949) [95] (female; Palaearctic Region); (Zimmerman, E.C., 1948) [176] (female; Hawaii); (Lawson, P.B., 1917) [177] (female; U.S.A.] (Kansas)

 

ECONOMIC AND CONTROL

This is one the most cosmopolitan mealybugs, damaging many outdoor crops in the tropics and subtropics, as well as in greenhouse in the temperate Regions (see Bodenheimer, F.S. 1930. Die Schädlingsfauna Palästinas. Unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der GroBschädlinge des Mittelmeergebietes. Monographien zur Angewandte Entomologie Nr. 10: 438 pp., Bodenheimer, F.S. 1951. Citrus entomology in the Middle East with special reference to Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Turkey. The Hague : W. Junk 663 pp.; McKenzie, H.L. 1967. Mealybugs of California with taxonomy, biology, and control of North American species (Homoptera: Cooccoidea: Pseudococcidae). Berkeley : Univ. Calif. Press 526 pp.; Bartlett, B.R. 1978. Pseudococcidae. In, Clausen, C.P. (ed). Introduced Parasites and Predators of Arthropod Pests and Weeds: a World Review. Washington, D.C. : Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture 545 pp.; Cox, J.M. 1989. The mealybug genus Planococcus (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Entomology 58(1): 1–78). A sporadic olive pest in the Mediterranean region (see Swirski, E. 1985. Integrated control of arthropods of subtropical fruit trees in the Mediterranean region. Atti XIV Congresso Nazionale Italiano di Entomologia. Palermo, Erice, Bagheria: May 2–June 1, 1985. 781–799 pp.). Rosciglione, B. & Castellano, M.A. 1985. Further evidence that mealybugs can transmit Grapevine virus A (GVA) to herbaceous hosts. Phytopathologia Mediterranea 24: 186–188 showed that this mealybug transmitted Grapevine Virus A (GVA) from grapevine to Nicotiana clevelandii. Lagowska, B. 1995. The biological control perspective of scale insects (Homoptera, Coccinea) on ornamental plants in glasshouses. Wiadomosci Entomologiczne 14: 5–10 reviewed the prospects for biological control in greenhouses. Hanna, A.D., Judenko, E. & Heatherington, W. 1956. The control of Crematogaster ants as a means of controlling the mealybugs transmitting the swollen-shoot virus disease of cacao in the Gold Coast. Bulletin of Entomological Research 47: 219–227 reported that P. citri is a vector of the swollen-shoot virus disease of cacao in Ghana. Cabaleiro, C. & Segura, A. 1997. Field transmission of grapevine leafroll associated Virus 3 (GLRa V-3) by the mealybug Planococcus citri. Plant Disease 81: 283–287 studied in Spain the field transmission of Grapevine Leafroll Associated Virus 3 (GLRaV-3) by the mealybug Planococcus citri; it is very likely that the studied mealybug was actually Planococcus ficus (Signoret).

GENERAL

Good description and illustration of the adult female given by Ferris in Zimmerman, E.C. 1948. Homoptera: Sternorrhyncha. pp. 268 in Zimmerman, E.C. (ed). Insects of Hawaii. Honolulu : University of Hawaii Press Vol. 5 464 pp., Ferris, G.F. 1950. Atlas of the Scale Insects of North America. (Ser. 5, vol. 5). The Pseudococcidae (Part I). Palo Alto, California : Stanford University Press 278 pp., McKenzie, H.L. 1967. Mealybugs of California with taxonomy, biology, and control of North American species (Homoptera: Cooccoidea: Pseudococcidae). Berkeley : Univ. Calif. Press 526 pp., Cox, J.M. 1981. Identification of Planococcus citri (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) and the description of a new species. Systematic Entomology 6: 47–53; Cox, J.M. 1987. Pseudococcidae (Insecta: Hemiptera). In, Duval, C.T. (ed). Fauna of New Zealand. Wellington, New Zealand : DSIR Science Information Publishing Centre Vol. 11 229 pp.; Cox, J.M. 1989. The mealybug genus Planococcus (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Entomology 58(1): 1–78, Williams, D.J. & Watson, G.W. 1988. The Scale Insects of the Tropical South Pacific Region. Part 1. The armoured scales (Diaspididae). London : CAB International Institute of Entomology 290 pp. and by Williams, D.J. & Granara de Willink, M.C. 1992. Mealybugs of Central and South America. London, England : CAB International Institute of Entomology 635 pp.. Good description and illustration of the adult male given by Beardsley, J.W. 1960. A preliminary study of the males of some Hawaiian mealybugs (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae). Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society 17: 199–243 and by Afifi, S. 1968. Morphology and taxonomy of the adult males of the families Pseudococcidae and Eriococcidae (Homoptera: Coccoidea). British Museum (Natural History), 2nd Report on Economic Zoology 13: 3–210. Good description of the adult female given by Borchsenius, N.S. 1949. Insects Homoptera. suborders mealybugs and scales (Coccoidea). Family mealybugs (Pseudococcidae). Vol. VII. Fauna SSSR. Zoologicheskii Institut Akademii Nauk SSSR 38: 1–382. Cox (1981) evaluated the effect of environmental conditions on the range of variation of certain morphological characters in the adult female.

BIOLOGY

James, H.C. 1937. Sex ratios and the status of the male in Pseudococcinae. Bulletin of Entomological Research 28: 429–461 showed that reproduction in sexual (in laboratory population in England) and evaluated its sex ratio. James, H.C. 1938. The effect of the humidity on the environment of sex ratios from over-aged ova of Pseudococcus citri Risso (Hemipt. Coccidae). Proceedings of the Royal Entomological Society of London A: General 13: 73–79 proved that environmental humidity has no decisive effect (in laboratory population in England) on sex ratio. Nelson-Rees, W.A. 1960. A study of sex determination in the mealy bug Planococcus citri (Risso). Journal of Experimental Zoology 144: 111–137 studied the life history and sex predetermination. Nelson-Rees, W.A. 1961. Modification of the ovary of the mealy bug Planococcus citri (Risso) due to aging. Journal of Experimental Zoology 146: 85–92 described the modification of the ovary due to aging. Rotundo, G. & Tremblay, E. 1975. Attractivity of virgin females of two species of pseudococcids (Homoptera Coccoidea) for chalcidoid parasite (Hymenoptera Chalcidoidea). Bollettino del Laboratorio di Entomologia Agraria 'Filippo Silvestri', Portici 32: 172–179 reported on the attractiveness of virgin females to hymenopterous parasites. Rotundo, G. & Tremblay, E. 1982. Hybridization and sex pheromone responses in two closely related mealybug species (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae). Systematic Entomology 7: 475–478 reported on hybridization between this species and Pl. ficus. Tranfaglia, A. 1978. Considerations on the morphological affinities between Planococcus citri (Risso) and Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Homoptera: Coccoidea). Atti XI Congresso Nazionale Italiano di Entomologia. Portici-Sorrento, 1976. 91–93 pp., Tranfaglia, A. & Tremblay, E. 1982. A morphological comparison between Planococcus citri (Ris.), Planococcus ficus (Sign.) and their F1 hybrids (Homoptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae). Entomotaxonomia 4: 1–5 and Tremblay et al. (1983) pointed out and evaluated the great morphological affinity (of the adult female) of this species with P. citri. Rotundo, G. & Tremblay, E. 1982. Hybridization and sex pheromone responses in two closely related mealybug species (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae). Systematic Entomology 7: 475–478 bioassayed the synthetic female sex pheromone. The female sex pheromone and some analogues were field-bioassayed by Dunkelblum, E., Ben-Dov, Y., Goldschmidt, Z., Wolk, J.L. & Somekh, L. 1987. Synthesis and field bioassay of some analogs of sex pheromone of citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Risso). Journal of Chemical Ecology 13(4): 863–871). Moreno, D.S., Fargerlund, J. & Ewart, W.H. 1984. Citrus mealybug (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae): behavior of males in response to sex pheromone in laboratory and field. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 77: 32–38 studied the complex hierarchy of male responses elicited by the female sex pheromone. Ortu, S. & Delrio, G. 1982. [Field trials with synthetic sexual pheromone of Planococcus citri (Homoptera, Coccoidea).]. Redia 65: 341–354 presented observations on the use of the pheromone in control of this species. Gothilf, S. & Beck, S.D. 1966. Rearing the citrus mealy bug, Planococcus citri (Risso), on a defined diet. Journal of Economic Entomology 59(2): 489–90 developed an artifical, defined diet for laboratory rearing of this mealybug. Campbell, C.A.M. 1983. The assessment of mealybugs (Pseudococcidae) and other Homoptera on mature cocoa trees in Ghana. Bulletin of Entomological Research 73: 137–151 assessed the presence and spatial distribution on cocoa trees in Ghana. Natural enemies discussed by Bartlett, B.R. 1978. Coccidae. In, Clausen, C.P. (ed). Introduced Parasites and Predators of Arthropod Pests and Weeds: A World Review. Washington, D.C. : Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture 545 pp. and by Moore, D. 1988. Agents used for biological control of mealybugs (Pseudococcidae). Biocontrol News & Information 9(4): 209–225. Parasites in Palaearctic Region discussed by Trjapitsin, V.A. 1989. [Parasitic Hymenoptera of the Fam. Encyrtidae of Palaearctics]. Leningrad : Akademia Nauk SSSR. Zoologicheskii 487 pp.. Smith et al. (1997) reported from citrus in Australia, at least six annual generation (in Queensland and the Northern Territory), 4–5 generations in New South wales, and 3–4 in Victoria and South Australia.

SYSTEMATICS

Tranfaglia, A. 1978. Considerations on the morphological affinities between Planococcus citri (Risso) and Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Homoptera: Coccoidea). Atti XI Congresso Nazionale Italiano di Entomologia. Portici-Sorrento, 1976. 91–93 pp. and Tranfaglia, A. & Tremblay, E. 1982. A morphological comparison between Planococcus citri (Ris.), Planococcus ficus (Sign.) and their F1 hybrids (Homoptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae). Entomotaxonomia 4: 1–5 pointed out and evaluated the great morphological affinity (of the adult female) of this species with P. ficus. Rotundo, G. & Tremblay, E. 1975. Attractivity of virgin females of two species of pseudococcids (Homoptera Coccoidea) for chalcidoid parasite (Hymenoptera Chalcidoidea). Bollettino del Laboratorio di Entomologia Agraria 'Filippo Silvestri', Portici 32: 172–179, Rotundo, G. & Tremblay, E. 1976. Serumdiagnostic studies in pseudococcids (Homoptera: Coccoidea). II. Planococcus citri (Ris.) and Planococcus ficus (Sign.). Bollettino del Laboratorio di Entomologia Agraria 'Filippo Silvestri', Portici 33: 99–107, Tremblay, E., Tranfaglia, A., Rotundo, G. & Iaccarino, F.M. 1977. Comparative observations on some pseudococcid species (Homoptera Coccoidea). Bollettino del Laboratorio di Entomologia Agraria 'Filippo Silvestri', Portici 34: 113–135 and Rotundo, G. & Tremblay, E. 1980. Serological studies on five species of Pseudococcidae (Homoptera). Systematic Entomology 5: 431–435 evaluated its degree of affinity to three mealybug species using female and male morphology, chromosome numbers, endosymbionts, serological methods and immunoelectrophoresis.

STRUCTURE

See colour photograph in McKenzie, H.L. 1967. Mealybugs of California with taxonomy, biology, and control of North American species (Homoptera: Cooccoidea: Pseudococcidae). Berkeley : Univ. Calif. Press 526 pp., Schmutterer, H. [In cooperation with Ramón Rowland Cruz] 1990. Crop Pests in the Caribbean with Particular Reference to the Dominican Republic [Plagas de las Plantas Cultivadas en el Caribe con Consideración]. Germany : Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH Eschborn 640 pp., Carvalho, J.P. & Aguiar, A.M.F. 1997. [Citrus pests in the Island of Madeira] Pragas dos citrinos na Ilha da Madeira. Madeira : Secretaria Regional de Agricultura, Florestas e Pescs 411 pp., Wong, C.Y., Chen, S.P. & Chou, L.Y. 1999. [Guidebook to Scale Insects of Taiwan.]. Wufeng, Taichung, Taiwan : Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute 98 pp.. Several aspects of the male chromosome system studied by Nur, U. 1966. Nonreplication of heterochromatic chromosomes in a mealybug, Planococcus citri (Coccoidea: Homoptera). Chromosoma (Berlin) 19: 439–448, Nur, U. 1967. Reversal of heterochromatization and the activity of the paternal chromosome set in the male mealy bug. Genetics 56: 375–389, and Nur, U. 1968. Endomitosis in the mealy bug, Planococcus citri (Homoptera: Coccoidea). Chromosoma (Berlin) 24: 202–209. SEM micrograph of trilocular pore and of wax secretions given by Foldi, I. 1991. The wax glands in scale insects: comparative ultrastructure, secretion, function and evolution (Homoptera: Coccoidea). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France ns 27(2): 163–188. Ultrastructure of the symbionts studied by Iaccarino, F.M. & Tremblay, E. 1971. Ultrastructural observations on the endosymbiosis of Planococcus citri (Risso) (Homoptera, Coccoidea). Bollettino del Laboratorio di Entomologia Agraria 'Filippo Silvestri', Portici 28: 35–48. Rotundo, G. & Tremblay, E. 1974. Study on a sex pheromone of Planococcus citri (Risso) (Homoptera, Coccoidea). II. Extraction. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Entomologia Agraria 'Filippo Silvestri', Portici 31: 121–131 described a technique for extractions of the female sex pheromone, and Rotundo, G. & Tremblay, E. 1982. Hybridization and sex pheromone responses in two closely related mealybug species (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae). Systematic Entomology 7: 475–478 gave preliminary data about its activity. Rotundo, G. & Tremblay, E. 1975. Attractivity of virgin females of two species of pseudococcids (Homoptera Coccoidea) for chalcidoid parasite (Hymenoptera Chalcidoidea). Bollettino del Laboratorio di Entomologia Agraria 'Filippo Silvestri', Portici 32: 172–179 evaluated the attractiveness of the female sex pheromone. The female sex pheromone was isolated, identified and synthesized by Bierl-Leonhardt, B.A., Moreno, D.S., Schwarz, M., Fargerlund, J. & Plimmer, J.R. 1981. Isolation, identification and synthesis of the sex pheromone of the citrus mealybug Planococcus citri (Risso). Tetrahedron Letters 22: 389–392. Female sex pheromone synthesized by Gaoni, Y. 1982. Conjugate addition of organocopper reagents to 1-arylsulfonylbicyclobutanes, synthesis of the racemic form of the sex pheromone of the citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Risso). Tetrahedron Letters 23(49): 5215–5218, Carlsen, P.H. & Odden, W. 1984. Synthesis of the female sex pheromone of the citrus mealybug. Planococcus citri (Risso). Acta Chemica Scandinavica 38: 501–504 and by Wolk, J.L., Goldschmidt, Z. & Dunkelblum, E. 1986. A short synthesis of (+)-cis-planococcyl acetate, sex pheromone of the citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Risso). Synthesis [1986]: 347–348. Rotundo, G. & Tremblay, E. 1980. Evaluation of the daily rate of sex pheromone release by the females of two mealybugs species (Homoptera Coccoidea Pseudococcidae). Bollettino del Laboratorio di Entomologia Agraria 'Filippo Silvestri', Portici 37: 167–170 evaluated the daily rate of release of the female sex pheromone.

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
05-Jun-2024 COCCOIDEA 22-Jan-2024 MODIFIED Dr Vivian Sandoval (ABRS)
21-Nov-2012 01-May-2014 MODIFIED
29-Jun-2012 29-Jun-2012 MODIFIED
12-Feb-2010 (import)