The Bougainvillea mealybug Phenacoccus peruvianus, a rapid invader from South America to Europe

Τα κοκκοειδή έντομα εμφανίζονται συχνά ως εισβολείς σε νέες περιοχές. Το είδος Phenacoccus peruvianus Granara de Willink, 2007, γνωστό και ως ψευδόκοκκος της βουκαμβίλιας παρατηρήθηκε για πρώτη φορά στην Ευρώπη το 1999 στην Ισπανία (Αλμερία) και αργότερα το 2002 στην Ιταλία (Σικελία). Αρχικά το είδος είχε αναγνωριστεί ως Phenacoccus sp. Κατα- γραφές του είδους έγιναν συχνότερες και σε άλλες περιοχές της Ισπανίας (συμπεριλαμβανομέ- νων και των Βελεαρίδων νήσων), στη Μ. Βρετανία, τη Γαλλία (συμπεριλαμβανομένης και της Κορσικής), το Μονακό και την Πορτογαλία. Τα φυτά ξενιστές ήταν στις περισσότερες περι- πτώσεις του γένους Bougainvillea.Scale insects are frequent invaders of new territories. The Bougainvillea mealybug, Phenacoccus peruvianus Granara de Willink, 2007, was recorded in Europe for the first time in 1999 in Spain (Almeria) and later in 2002 in Italy (Sicily). Initially, this unknown species was identified provisionally as Phenacoccus sp. Records of this species became frequent later when it was found in other localities in Spain (including the Balearic Islands), Great Britain, France (including Corsica), Monaco, and Portugal. The host plants of this mealybug were in most cases species of Bougainvillea

First records of two mealybug species in Brazil and new potential pests of papaya and coffee

Five mealybug (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) plant pest species: Dysmicoccus grassii (Leonardi), Ferrisia malvastra (McDaniel), Ferrisia virgata (Cockerell), Phenacoccus tucumanus Granara de Willink, and Pseudococcus elisae Borchsenius are recorded for the first time in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. These are the first records of D. grassii in Brazil, from papaya (Carica papaya, Caricaceae), and from coffee (Coffea canephora, Rubiaceae). Ferrisia malvastra is also newly recorded in Brazil, where it was found on Bidens pilosa (Asteraceae). Ferrisia virgata was collected from an unidentified weed and Phenacoccus tucumanus from Citrus sp. (Rutaceae). Plotococcus capixaba Kondo was found on pitanga (Eugenia cf. pitanga, Myrtaceae) and Pseudococcus elisae on Coffea canephora, which are new host records for these mealybugs

Colony formation and acquisition of coccoid trophobionts by Aphomomyrmex afer (Formicinae): co-dispersal of queens and phoretic mealybugs in an ant-plant-homopteran mutualism?

International audienceIn coastal forests of Cameroon, colonies of the ant Aphomomyrmex afer are found in hollowed twigs of two species of trees, most commonly the myrmecophyte Leonardoxa africana T3, Established colonies of this ant are always associated with coccoid homopterans (the pseudococcid Paraputo anomala or the coccid Houardia abdita, or both) within hollow twigs, and ants appear to be dependent on these sap-sucking trophobionts. We dissected domatia of juvenile host-plants that had not yet acquired an established colony to determine (1) how colonies are founded, and (2) when and how trophobionts are acquired. Colony foundation is claustral. A single queen chews an entrance hole into an unoccupied domatium that serves as the Founding chamber. The entrance hole is partially closed by debris and later by callus growth. Nineteen foundresses were located while still in the claustral phase, with no workers or a few nanitic workers. Of the 19 foundresses, 12 had at least a single Paraputo anomala individual in the same domatium. One of the queens had two female P. anomala nymphs attached to her body. The remaining 7 foundresses were not associated with coccoids. These results indicate that mealybug and ant may codisperse by phoresis of juvenile female mealybugs on founding queens, Association with mealybugs should provide foundresses with a food source during claustral foundation. The coccid Houardia does not seem to co-disperse with ants, and foundresses originating from adult colonies that tend only coccids must acquire trophobionts later