Pseudococcidae

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Paraneoptera
Superordo: Condylognatha
Ordo: Hemiptera
Subordo: Sternorrhyncha
Superfamilia: Coccoidea

Familia: Pseudococcidae
Subfamiliae: Phenacoccinae - Pseudococcinae
Genera not assigned to a subfamily

Genera: Anthelococcus – Artemicoccus – Dorsoceraricoccus – Ehrhornia – Eupeliococcus – Formicoccus – Gomezmenoricoccus – Marendellea – Mombasinia – Nairobia – Ripersia – Wapoacoccus
Name

Pseudococcidae Heymons, 1915
References

Template:Heymons, 1915

Charles, J.G.; Bell, V.A.; Lo, P.L.; Cole, L.M.; Chhagan, A. 2010: Mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) and their natural enemies in New Zealand vineyards from 1993-2009. New Zealand entomologist, 33: 84–91.
Cox, J.M. 1987: Pseudococcidae (Insecta: Hemiptera). Fauna of New Zealand, 11 .
Dong, Q-G., Zhang, J-T. & Wu, S-A. 2017. A new genus and species of Pseudococcidae (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccomorpha) from China. Zootaxa 4299(4): 592–600. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4299.4.9. Reference page.
Hardy, N.B.; Gullan, P.J.; Hodgson, C.J. 2008: A subfamily-level classification of mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) based on integrated molecular and morphological data. Systematic entomology, 33 (1): 51–71. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3113.2007.00408.x PDF
Moghaddam, M. 2013: A review of the mealybugs (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae, Putoidae and Rhizoecidae) of Iran, with descriptions of four new species and three new records for the Iranian fauna. Zootaxa 3632(1): 1–107. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3632.1.1 Reference page.
Williams, D.J., 1962: The British Pseudococcidae (Homoptera: Coccoidea). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology series 12 (1): 1–79.
Williams, D.J.; Gullan, P.J. 2010: Family-group names proposed in the family Pseudococcidae (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea). Zootaxa, 2400: 66–68. Preview PDF
Wu, S.-A.; Lu, Y. 2012: Notes on the genera and species in the mealybug tribe Serrolecaniini Shinji (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae) from China with description of a new species. Zootaxa, 3251: 30–46. Preview

Links

Miller, D. & Y. Ben-Dov. 2005. ScaleNet[1]
Tanaka, H., Suetsugu, K. & Kamitani, S. 2021. A parasitic insect on a parasitic plant: a new species of the genus Formicoccus Takahashi (Hemiptera, Coccomorpha, Pseudococcidae) from Ishigaki Island, Japan. ZooKeys 1060ː 171–182. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1060.71652 Open access Reference page.

Vernacular names
English: mealybugs
suomi: Villakilpikirvat
日本語: コナカイガラムシ科

Mealybugs are insects in the family Pseudococcidae, unarmored scale insects found in moist, warm habitats. Many species are considered pests as they feed on plant juices of greenhouse plants, house plants and subtropical trees and also act as a vector for several plant diseases. Some ants live in symbiotic relationships with them, protecting them from predators and feeding off the honeydew which they excrete.

Description
A video of a mealybug.

Mealybugs are sexually dimorphic: females appear as nymphs, exhibiting reduced morphology, and lack wings, although unlike many female scale insects, they often retain legs and can move. Males are smaller, gnat-like and have wings. Since mealybugs (as well as all other Hemiptera) are hemimetabolous insects, they do not undergo complete metamorphosis in the true sense of the word. However, male mealybugs do exhibit a radical change during their life cycle, changing from wingless, ovoid nymphs to wasp-like flying adults.

Mealybug females feed on plant sap, normally in roots or other crevices, and in a few cases the bottoms of stored fruit. They attach themselves to the plant and secrete a powdery wax layer (hence the name "mealy" bug) used for protection while they suck the plant juices. In Asia, mango mealybug is considered a major menace for the mango crop. The males on the other hand are short-lived as they do not feed at all as adults and only live to fertilize the females. Male citrus mealy bugs fly to the females and resemble fluffy gnats.

Some species of mealybug lay their eggs in the same waxy layer used for protection in quantities of 50–100; other species are born directly from the female.

The most serious pests are mealybugs that feed on citrus; other species damage sugarcane, grapes, pineapple (Jahn et al. 2003), coffee trees, cassava, ferns, cacti, gardenias, papaya, mulberry, sunflower and orchids. Mealybugs only tend to be serious pests in the presence of ants because the ants protect them from predators and parasites.[2] Mealybugs also infest some species of carnivorous plant such as Sarracenia (pitcher plants); in such cases it is difficult to eradicate them without repeated applications of insecticide such as diazinon. Small infestations may not inflict significant damage. In larger amounts though, they can induce leaf drop. In recent years, some of the mealybug species have become invasive pests in localities posing a great problem to the new agro-ecosystems. In India, Withania somnifera plant have been reported as a new reservoir host for an invasive mealybug species Phenacoccus solenopsis.[3]

Some mealybugs of the Hypogeococcus are used as biological pest controls of invasive cacti in South Africa, including Harrisia balansae, H. martinii, and Opuntia cespitosa.[4]

Fossil specimens of genus Acropyga ants have been recovered from the Burdigalian stage Dominican amber deposits and several individuals are preserved carrying the extinct mealybug genus Electromyrmococcus.[5] These fossils represent the oldest record of the symbiosis between mealybugs and Acropyga species ants.[5]

Control methods

Pyrethroids such as permethrin, bifenthrin or cyfluthrin can be used to control mealybugs.[6]

Some gardeners use green lacewing (Chrysopidae) larvae to control mealybug infestations, as the larval lacewings are voracious predators of aphids and other small insects.[7]
Genera

Acaciacoccus
Acinicoccus
Acrochordonus
Adelosoma
Agastococcus
Albertinia
Allomyrmococcus
Allotrionymus
Amonostherium
Anaparaputo
Anisococcus
Annulococcus
Anthelococcus
Antonina
Antoninella
Antoninoides
Apodastococcus
Artemicoccus
Asaphococcus
Asphodelococcus
Asteliacoccus
Atriplicicoccus
Atrococcus
Australicoccus
Australiputo
Balanococcus
Bessenayla
Bimillenia
Birendracoccus
Boninococcus
Boreococcus
Bouhelia
Brasiliputo
Brevennia
Brevicoccus
Callitricoccus
Calyptococcus
Cannococcus
Capitisetella
Cataenococcus
Chaetococcus
Chaetotrionymus
Chileputo
Chlorococcus
Chnaurococcus
Chorizococcus
Chryseococcus
Cintococcus
Circaputo
Cirnecoccus
Clavicoccus
Coccidohystrix
Coccura
Coleococcus
Colombiacoccus
Conicosoma
Conulicoccus
Coorongia
Cormiococcus
Criniticoccus
Crisicoccus
Crocydococcus
Cryptoripersia
Cucullococcus
Cyperia
Cypericoccus
Cyphonococcus
Dawa
Delococcus
Delottococcus
Densispina
Discococcus
Distichlicoccus
Diversicrus
Drymococcus
Dysmicoccus
Eastia
Ehrhornia
Electromyrmococcus †
Epicoccus
Erimococcus
Eriocorys
Erioides
Erium
Eucalyptococcus
Eumirococcus
Eumyrmococcus
Eupeliococcus
Euripersia
Eurycoccus
Exilipedronia
Farinococcus
Ferrisia
Ferrisicoccus
Fijicoccus
Fonscolombia
Formicococcus
Gallulacoccus
Geococcus
Glycycnyza
Gomezmenoricoccus
Gouxia
Greenoripersia
Grewiacoccus
Hadrococcus
Heliococcus
Heterococcopsis
Heterococcus
Heteroheliococcus
Hippeococcus
Hopefoldia
Humococcus
Hypogeococcus[4]
Iberococcus
Idiococcus
Indococcus
Inopicoccus
Ityococcus
Kenmorea
Kermicus
Kiritshenkella
Lachnodiella
Lachnodiopsis
Lacombia
Laingiococcus
Laminicoccus
Lankacoccus
Lantanacoccus
Lenania
Leptococcus
Leptorhizoecus
Liucoccus
Lomatococcus
Londiania
Longicoccus
Maconellicoccus
Macrocepicoccus
Maculicoccus
Madacanthococcus
Madagasia
Madangiacoccus
Madeurycoccus
Malaicoccus
Malekoccus
Mammicoccus
Marendellea
Mascarenococcus
Maskellococcus
Mauricoccus
Melanococcus
Metadenopsis
Metadenopus
Miconicoccus
Mirococcopsis
Mirococcus
Miscanthicoccus
Misericoccus
Mizococcus
Mollicoccus
Mombasinia
Moystonia
Mutabilicoccus
Nairobia
Natalensia
Neochavesia
Neoclavicoccus
Neoripersia
Neosimmondsia
Neotrionymus
Nesococcus
Nesopedronia
Nesticoccus
Nipaecoccus
Novonilacoccus
Octococcus
Odacoccus
Ohiacoccus
Oracella
Orococcus
Orstomicoccus
Oxyacanthus
Palaucoccus
Palmicultor
Paludicoccus
Pandanicola
Papuacoccus
Paracoccus
Paradiscococcus
Paradoxococcus
Paraferrisia
Paramococcus
Paramonostherium
Paramyrmococcus
Parapaludicoccus
Parapedronia
Paraputo
Pararhodania
Paratrionymus
Parkermicus
Paulianodes
Pedrococcus
Pedronia
Peliococcopsis
Peliococcus
Pelionella
Pellizzaricoccus
Penthococcus
Peridiococcus
Phenacoccus
Phyllococcus
Pilococcus
Planococcoides
Planococcus
Pleistocerarius
Plotococcus
Poecilococcus
Polystomophora
Porisaccus
Porococcus
Prorhizoecus
Prorsococcus
Pseudantonina
Pseudococcus
Pseudorhizoecus
Pseudorhodania
Pseudoripersia
Pseudotrionymus
Puto
Pygmaeococcus
Quadrigallicoccus
Rastrococcus
Renicaula
Rhizoecus
Rhodania
Ripersia
Ritsemia
Rosebankia
Saccharicoccus
Sarococcus
Scaptococcus
Seabrina
Serrolecanium
Seyneria
Spartinacoccus
Sphaerococcus
Spilococcus
Spinococcus
Stachycoccus
Stemmatomerinx
Stipacoccus
Strandanna
Stricklandina
Strombococcus
Synacanthococcus
Syrmococcus
Tangicoccus
Tasmanicoccus
Telocorys
Tibetococcus
Tomentocera
Trabutina
Tridiscus
Trimerococcus
Trionymus
Trochiscococcus
Turbinococcus
Tylococcus
Tympanococcus
Ventrispina
Villosicoccus
Volvicoccus
Vryburgia
Xenococcus
Yudnapinna

References

"Pseudococcidae Heymons, 1915". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
Noe, Ronald (November 21, 2012). "Fire Ants Protect Mealybugs against Their Natural Enemies by Utilizing the Leaf Shelters Constructed by the Leaf Roller Sylepta derogata". PLOS ONE. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. 7 (11): e49982. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...749982Z. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049982. PMC 3503828. PMID 23185505.
Sharma, A.; Pati, P. K. (2013). "First record of Ashwagandha as a new host to the invasive mealybug (Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley) in India". Entomological News. 123 (1): 59–62. doi:10.3157/021.123.0114. S2CID 85645762.
"Cactus control in the Klein Karoo". Rhodes University. 2014-09-17. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
Johnson, M.S.; et al. (2001). "Acropyga and Azteca Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with Scale Insects (Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea): 20 Million Years of Intimate Symbiosis". American Museum Novitates (3335): 1–18. doi:10.1206/0003-0082(2001)335<0001:AAAAHF>2.0.CO;2.
SP290-S-Mealybugs on Ornamentals (Report). The University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service. 2003. SP290S-1.5M-5/03(Rev) E12-4615-00-030-03.

"Cryptolaemus and lacewings for mealybug and scale control" (PDF). Department of Primary Studies, NSW. New South Wales. Retrieved 25 May 2021.