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Species Pseudococcus viburni (Signoret, 1875)

Obscure Mealybug, Tuber Mealybug

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia


Ecological Descriptors

Sap-feeder.

 

ID Keys

(Gimpel, W.F. & Miller, D.R., 1996) [21] (female; world); (Gimpel, W.F. & Miller, D.R., 1996) [137] (larva; world); (Kosztarab, M., 1996) [177] (female; northeastern North USA); (Tang, F.T., 1992) [236] (female; China); (Williams, D.J. & Granara de Willink, M.C., 1992) [427] (female; Central and South America); (Williams, D.J., 1985) [280] (female; Australia); (Ter-Grigorian, M.A., 1973) [40] (female; Armenia); (McKenzie, H.L., 1967) [288] (female; U.S.A., California); (Beardsley, J.W., 1966) [457] (female; Federated States of Micronesia); (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); (Zimmerman, E.C., 1948) [177] (female; Hawaii)

 

GENERAL

Good description and illustration of the adult female given by 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. and by 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., Ter-Grigorian, M.A. 1973. Soft and armored scales (Coccoidea) mealybugs (Pseudococcidae). In Fauna of Armenian SSR. Izvestiya Akademii Nauk Armianskoi SSR. Erevan [1973]: 1–246, 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., Williams, D.J. & Granara de Willink, M.C. 1992. Mealybugs of Central and South America. London, England : CAB International Institute of Entomology 635 pp. and by Gimpel, W.F. & Miller, D.R. 1996. Systematic analysis of the mealybugs in the Pseudococcus maritimus complex (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae). Contributions on Entomology, International 2: 1–163. Good description and illustration of the female second-instar nymph, first-instar nymph and third-instar nymph given by Ter-Grigorian, M.A. 1973. Soft and armored scales (Coccoidea) mealybugs (Pseudococcidae). In Fauna of Armenian SSR. Izvestiya Akademii Nauk Armianskoi SSR. Erevan [1973]: 1–246. Good description and illustration of the third instar female given by Gimpel & Miller (1996). 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 evaluated its degree of affinity to three mealybug species, using female and male morphology, chromosome number, endosymbionts and immunoelectrophoresis.

BIOLOGY

Found on all parts of the host plant. 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 fetility of the female. Natural enemies listed by Moore, D. 1988. Agents used for biological control of mealybugs (Pseudococcidae). Biocontrol News & Information 9(4): 209–225.

SYSTEMATICS

Joubert, J.C. 1928. Pseudococcus gahani, Green, in South Africa. Bulletin of Entomological Research 19: 209 suggested that Pseudococcus capensis is a synonym of 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. of P. maritimus. However, the former is a synonym of P. affinis.

STRUCTURE

Various aspects of the chromosome system was studied, and reported as P. obscurus, by Nur, U. 1962. Sperms, sperm bundles and fertilization in a mealy bug, Pseudococcus obscurus Essig (Homoptera: Coccoidea). Journal of Morphology 111: 173–199, Nur, U. 1962. A supernumerary chromosome with an accumulation mechanism in the lecanoid genetic system. Chromosoma (Berlin) 13: 249–271, Nur, U. 1966. Harmful supernumerary chromosomes in a mealy bug population. Genetics 54: 1225–1238, Nur, U. 1966. The effect of supernumerary chromosomes on the development of mealy bugs. Genetics 54: 1239–1249, Nur, U. 1977. Maternal inheritence of enzymes in the mealybug Pseudococcus obscurus (Homoptera). Genetics 86: 149–160. Colour photograph given by 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., Gonzalez, R.H. 1983. Manejo de plagas de la vid. Publicaciones en Ciencia Agricultura, Universidad de Chile, Facultad Ciencia Agrarias, Veterinarias, y Forestales 13: 1–115 and by 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.

ECONOMIC AND CONTROL

Considered as probably the commonest greenhouse mealybug in Britain (see Williams, D.J. 1962. The British Pseudococcidae (Homoptera: Coccoidea). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Entomology 12: 1–79). Reported as a pest of tomato in greenhouses in the Netherlands (see Schoen, L. & Martin, C. 1999. [A new type of scale on tomatoes. Pseudococcus viburni, a potential greenhouse pest.] Une nouvelle cochenille sur tomate. Pseudococcus viburni, ravageur potentiel en serre. Phytoma No. 514: 39–40). Reported as the most important underground mealybug pest in Australia, see Williams, D.J. 1985. Australian Mealybugs. London : British Museum (Natural History) 431 pp.. Reported as an apple pest in New Zealand (see Ward, A. 1966. Mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in Hawke's Bay orchards. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 9: 452–454) and in Israel (see Ben-Dov, Y. 1990. 1.1.1 Diagnosis and phylogenetic relationships. In, Rosen, D. (ed). Armoured Scale Insects, Their Biology, Natural Enemies and Control. Amsterdam, The Netherlands : Elsevier Vol. 4A 384 pp.). A pest of grapevine in California, but its control has been improved by elimination of the attending ants (see Phillips, P.A. & Sherk, C.J. 1991. To control mealybugs, stop honeydew-seeking ants. California Agriculture 45(2): 26–28). Panis, A. 1986. Biological features of Pseudococcus affinis (Mask.) (Homoptera, Pseudococcidae) as guidelines of its control in water-sprinkled citrus orchards. Integrated pest control in citrus-groves, Commission of the European Communities, Proceedings of the Experts' Meeting. discussed its status as a citrus pest in the French Riviera.

 

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 23-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)