Species Pseudococcus calceolariae (Maskell, 1879)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Dactylopius calceolariae Maskell, W.M. 1879. On some Coccidae in New Zealand. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 11[1878]: 187-228 [218].

  Type data:

   Lectotype NZAC 1 adult ♀, NEW ZEALAND.

  Subsequent designation references:

  Williams, D.J. & Boer, J.A. de. 1973. The taxonomy of some New Zealand Pseudococcidae (Homoptera: Coccoidea). Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 125: 227-252 [241].

  Type host:

   Traversia sp. [ASTERACEAE]
• Pseudococcus fragilis Brain, C.K. 1912. Contribution to the knowledge of mealy bugs, genus Pseudococcus in the vicinity of Cape Town, South Africa. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 5: 177-189 [186].
• Pseudococcus citrophilus Clausen, C.P. 1915. Mealy bugs of citrus trees. Bulletin of the California University, College of Agriculture, Agricultural Experiment Station 258: 19-48 [30].
• Pseudococcus gahani Green, E.E. 1915. Observations on British Coccidae in 1914, with descriptions of new species. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 3 51: 175-185 [179].
• Dactylopius similans Lidgett, J. 1898. Notes and observations on some Victorian Coccidae. The Wombat 3: 80-95 [91].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Williams, D.J. & Boer, J.A. de. 1973. The taxonomy of some New Zealand Pseudococcidae (Homoptera: Coccoidea). Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 125: 227-252 [241] (synonymy of Pseudococcus citrophilus Clausen, 1915; synonymy of Pseudococcus fragilis Brain, 1912; synonymy of Pseudococcus gahani Green, 1915)

Distribution

States

Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria

Ecological Descriptors

Sap-feeder.

ID Keys

(Miller, D.R. & Williams, D.J., 1997) [310] (female; Central and South America); (Tang, F.T., 1992) [235] (female; China); (Williams, D.J. & Granara de Willink, M.C., 1992) [427] (female; Central and South America); (Cox, J.M., 1987) [76] (female; New Zealand); (Williams, D.J., 1985) [281] (female; Australia); (Ter-Grigorian, M.A., 1973) [40] (female; Armenia); (McKenzie, H.L., 1967) [289] (female; U.S.A., California); (McKenzie, H.L., 1964) [255] (female; North America); (McKenzie, H.L., 1962) [655] (female; North America); (Williams, D.J., 1962) [39] (female); (McKenzie, H.L., 1960) [725] (female; North America); (Ferris, G.F., 1953) [418] (female; North America); (Ferris, G.F., 1950) [173] (female; North America); (Borchsenius, N.S., 1949) [92] (female; Palaearctic Region)

GENERAL

Good description and illustration of the adult female given by Morrison, H. 1925. Classification of scale insects of the subfamily Ortheziinae. Journal of Agricultural Research 30: 97–154, 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., Tereznikova, E.M. 1975. [Coccids. In, The Fauna of Ukraine.]. Akademii Nauk Ukrains'koi SSR Instituta Zoologicheskogo 20(18): 295, 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., Williams, D.J. 1985. Australian Mealybugs. London : British Museum (Natural History) 431 pp., 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., Zahradník, J. 1990. 3.9.9.1 Conifers. In, Rosen, D. (ed). Armoured Scale Insects, Their Biology, Natural Enemies and Control, Vol. 4B. World Crop Pests. Amsterdam, The Netherlands : Elsevier 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. 1962. Descriptions and notes on male mealybugs (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae). Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society 28: 81–98. 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. See colour illustration 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..

BIOLOGY

James, H.C. 1937. Sex ratios and the status of the male in Pseudococcinae. Bulletin of Entomological Research 28: 429–461 showed (as P. gahani) that reproduction is sexual (in laboratory population in England) and evaluated its sex ratio. 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 attractivity of the virgin females to hymenopterous parasites. Rotundo, G. 1978. [Isolation of virgin females of Pseudococcus calceolariae (Mask.) (Homoptera, Coccoidea) using juvenile hormone in emulsion.] Isolamento massale di femmine vergini di Pseudococcus calceolariae (Mask.) mediante l'uso di un ormone giovanile. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Entomologia Agraria 'Filippo Silvestri', Portici 35: 162-168 described a method for mass collection of virgin females. 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 release of female sex pheromone. Male flight activity was studied by Rotundo, G. & Tremblay, E. 1976. Observations on male flight activity of Pseudococcus calceolariae (Mask.) (Homoptera Coccoidea). Bollettino del Laboratorio di Entomologia Agraria 'Filippo Silvestri', Portici 33: 108–112 and by Rotundo, G., Tremblay, E. & Papa, P. 1980. Short-range orientation of Pseudococcus calceolariae (Mask.) males (Homoptera Coccoidea) in a wind tunnel. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Entomologia Agraria 'Filippo Silvestri', Portici 37: 31-37. Rotundo, G. & Tremblay, E. 1981. Scent trailing by virgin females of Pseudococcus calceolariae. Journal of Chemical Ecology 7: 85–88 observed scent trailing by the virgin female. 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. Franco, J.C. & Pereira, R.C. 1992. [A method to study the reproductive biology in oviparous species of the Pseudococcidae family (Homoptera; Coccoidea).] Metodo para o estudo da biologia reprodutiva de especies oviparas da familia Pseudococcidae (Homoptera: Coccoidea). Actas do Congresso Iberico de Entomologia 5(2, Suppl. 3): 291–298 described a method for studying the fecundity and fertility of the female. On citrus, in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia, develops 3–4 generations per year (see Smith, D., Beattie, G.A.C. & Broadley, R.H. 1997. Citrus Pests and their Natural Enemies: Integrated Pest Management in Australia. Brisbane, Australia : State of Queensland, Department of Primary Industries, and Horticultural Research and Development Corp. 263 pp.). 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 attractivity of the virgin females to hymenopterous parasites. Rotundo (1978) described a method for mass collection of virgin females. Rotundo & Tremblay (1980) evaluated the daily release of female sex pheromone. Male flight activity was studied by Rotundo, G. & Tremblay, E. 1976. Observations on male flight activity of Pseudococcus calceolariae (Mask.) (Homoptera Coccoidea). Bollettino del Laboratorio di Entomologia Agraria 'Filippo Silvestri', Portici 33: 108–112 and by Rotundo et al. (1980). Rotundo & Tremblay (1981) observed scent trailing by the virgin female. Campbell (1983) assessed the presence and spatial distribution on cocoa trees in Ghana. Franco, J.C. & Pereira, R.C. 1992. [A method to study the reproductive biology in oviparous species of the Pseudococcidae family (Homoptera; Coccoidea).] Metodo para o estudo da biologia reprodutiva de especies oviparas da familia Pseudococcidae (Homoptera: Coccoidea). Actas do Congresso Iberico de Entomologia 5(2, Suppl. 3): 291–298 described a method for studying the fecundity and fertility of the female.

ECONOMIC AND CONTROL

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.. This is a highly polyhagous species, reported as a citrus pest in California, Italy and Crimea. The history of its successful biological control in California, by introduced natural enemies from Australia, discussed by Smith, H.S. & Armitage, H.M. 1931. The biological control of mealybugs attacking citrus. Bulletin (California Agricultural Experiment Station) 509: 1–74, Smith, H.S. & Compere, H. 1931. Introduced parasites successfully control the citrophilus mealybug. Journal of Economic Entomology 24(5): 942–945 and by Compere, H. & Smith, H.S. 1932. The control of the Citrophilus mealybug, Pseudococcus gahani, by Australian parasites. Hilgardia 6(17): 585–618.

Common Name References

Betrem, J.G. 1937. Morphology and systematics of some of the principal mealy bug species of Java. (Hom. Cocc.). Archief voor de Koffiecultuur in Nederland Indie 11: 1-118 (Cited also by , and ) (Citrophilus Mealybug)

History of changes