Laboratory evaluation of the life history of hibiscus mealybug, Nipaecocus viridis (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), on selected citrus and potential non-citrus hosts in Florida

Nipaecoccus viridis (Newstead) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is an emerging invasive pest of citrus. There is no information on the life history of N. viridis in relation to citrus cultivars produced in Florida. Here, we quantified the life-history parameters of N. viridis on 6 citrus and 3 non-citrus host plant species under laboratory conditions. We also investigated the effect of mode of reproduction (sexual vs. parthenogenic) on the fecundity of N. viridis. Nipaecoccus viridis was able to develop to maturity and reproduce on all host plant taxa tested. The individual host plants affected the developmental and survival rate, adult longevity, and offspring production of N. viridis. All citrus genotypes commercially grown in Florida were susceptible to N. viridis, with the exception of Citrus aurantium L., which suggests that there is need for management of this invasive pest in Florida citrus groves. Murraya paniculata L., Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L., and Punica granatum L. were also acceptable hosts for N. viridis. Sexually reproducing female N. viridis produced significantly more eggs than those reproducing asexually. Based on our results, propagation of M. paniculata and other citrus relatives should be discouraged around citrus groves in Florida. Given the fitness benefit of sexual reproduction in this pest, pheromone-based tools like mating disruption and mass trapping of adult males could be considered as part of an integrated pest management program with insecticides.

[1]  L. Osborne,et al.  Hibiscus Mealybug (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) – Biology, Host Plants, Current Management Practices, and a Field Guide for North America , 2023, Journal of Integrated Pest Management.

[2]  Nipaecoccus viridis (spherical mealybug) , 2022, CABI Compendium.

[3]  R. Kaspi,et al.  Identification of the Sex Pheromone of the Spherical Mealybug Nipaecoccus viridis , 2019, Journal of Chemical Ecology.

[4]  T. Perring,et al.  Lethal and Sub-Lethal Effects of Insecticides on the Pink Hibiscus Mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) , 2019, Insects.

[5]  M. Botton,et al.  Effect of Host Plants on the Development, Survivorship, and Reproduction of Pseudococcus viburni (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) , 2017, Florida Entomologist.

[6]  Casper W. Berg,et al.  glmmTMB Balances Speed and Flexibility Among Packages for Zero-inflated Generalized Linear Mixed Modeling , 2017, R J..

[7]  Douglass R. Miller,et al.  ScaleNet: a literature-based model of scale insect biology and systematics , 2016, Database J. Biol. Databases Curation.

[8]  A. Cocco,et al.  Variation of life‐history parameters of Planococcus ficus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in response to grapevine nitrogen fertilization , 2015 .

[9]  David G. Hall,et al.  Differences in Stylet Sheath Occurrence and the Fibrous Ring (Sclerenchyma) between xCitroncirus Plants Relatively Resistant or Susceptible to Adults of the Asian Citrus Psyllid Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae) , 2014, PloS one.

[10]  D. Bates,et al.  Fitting Linear Mixed-Effects Models Using lme4 , 2014, 1406.5823.

[11]  S. Ekesi,et al.  Effect of Six Host Plant Species on the Life History and Population Growth Parameters of Rastrococcus iceryoides (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) , 2013 .

[12]  A. Roda,et al.  Developmental and Reproductive Biology of Planococcus minor (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) Under Constant Temperatures , 2012 .

[13]  Shaukat Ali,et al.  Effects of host plant on the development, survivorship and reproduction of Dysmicoccus neobrevipes Beardsley (Hemiptera: Pseudoccocidae) , 2011 .

[14]  Richard F. Lee,et al.  Colonization of Citrus and Citrus- related Germplasm by Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) , 2011 .

[15]  Sanford Weisberg,et al.  An R Companion to Applied Regression , 2010 .

[16]  A. Roda,et al.  Life History of the Mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), at Constant Temperatures , 2008, Environmental entomology.

[17]  J. Swiader,et al.  Effect of Nitrogen Fertility on Reproduction and Development of Citrus Mealybug, Planococcus citri Risso (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae), Feeding on Two Colors of Coleus, Solenostemon scutellarioides L. Codd , 2006 .

[18]  M. V. van Iersel,et al.  Temperature Effects on the Development, Survival, and Reproduction of the Madeira Mealybug, Phenacoccus madeirensis Green (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), on Chrysanthemum , 2003 .

[19]  Abhijna Ghosh,et al.  BIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON THE MEALYBUG, NIPAECOCCUS VIRIDIS (NEWSTEAD) ON VARIOUS HOST PLANTS , 2001 .

[20]  P. Gullan.  Identification of the immature instars of mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) found on citrus in Australia , 2000 .

[21]  C. Zonneveld.  Being Big or Emerging Early? Polyandry and the Trade-Off between Size and Emergence in Male Butterflies , 1996, The American Naturalist.

[22]  Matthew Pressman.  In press , 1995, TESOL Quarterly.

[23]  M. Bashir,et al.  Importation, colonization and establishment ofAnagyrus indicus [Hym.: Encyrtidae] onNipaecoccus viridis [Hom.: Pseudococcidae] in Jordan , 1988, Entomophaga.

[24]  L. Diepenbrock,et al.  First Report of Nipaecoccus viridis (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) Associated with Citrus Production in the United States , 2020 .

[25]  Gao Xiwu,et al.  Metabolic adaptation mechanisms of insects to plant secondary metabolites and their implications for insecticide resistance of insects. , 2015 .

[26]  R Core Team,et al.  R: A language and environment for statistical computing. , 2014 .

[27]  Mahesh Kumar,et al.  A temperature-based phenology model for predicting development, survival and population growth potential of the mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) , 2014 .

[28]  I. Stocks.  Recent adventive scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) and whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in Florida and the Caribbean region. , 2013 .

[29]  G. Evans,et al.  Potential invasive species of scale insects for the USA and Caribbean Basin. , 2013 .

[30]  D. Hall,et al.  Resistance of Poncirus and Citrus × Poncirus Germplasm to the Asian Citrus Psyllid , 2013 .

[31]  E. Lacey,et al.  What Is an Adaptive Environmentally Induced Parental Effect , 2011 .

[32]  A. Zada,et al.  Novel Approaches for the Management of Mealybug Pests , 2009 .

[33]  J. C. Franco,et al.  Mate location and sexual maturity of adult male mealybugs: narrow window of opportunity in a short lifetime. , 2009 .

[34]  P. Gullan,et al.  Adaptations in scale insects. , 1997, Annual review of entomology.

[35]  D. Williams,et al.  Mealybugs of Central and South America. , 1992 .

[36]  M. Bashir,et al.  Importation, colonization and establishment of Anagyrus indicus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) on Nipaecoccus viridis (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) in Jordan , 1988 .

[37]  N. Sharaf,et al.  A review on the biology, ecology and control of Nipaecoccus viridis (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae). , 1987 .