Abstract
The vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Signoret), and the citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Risso), are currently the most economically important pseudococcids in vineyards in Italy (Dalla Montà et al., 2001). Pl. ficus is also considered to be a key pest in many other countries (Ben-Dov, 1994). The two species cause severe damage to the host plant, and significantly reduce the crop due to the production of honeydew, which allows the growth of sooty molds, and to their potential as virus vectors. The vine mealybug, in particular, is known to transmit grapevine leafroll and corky-bark diseases (Engelbrecht & Kasdorf, 1990; Tanne et al., 1989).
References
Abdelkhalek, L., Afellah, M. & Smaili, C. (1998) Bioecologie et lutte biologique contre Planococcus citri R. (Hom., Pseudococcidae) sur agrumes dans la region du Loukos au Maroc. Mededelingen/Universiteit Gent, Faculteit Landbouwkundige en Toegepaste Biologische Wetenschappen, 63(2b), 483–488.
Ben-Dov, Y. (1994) A Systematic Catalogue of the Mealybugs of the World (Insecta: Homoptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae and Putoidae) with data on geographical distribution, host plants, biology and economic importance. Intercept Limited Andover, 686 pp.
Bosco, D., Loria, A., Sartor, C. & Cenis, J.L. (2006) PCR-RFLP identification of Bemisia tabaci biotypes in the Mediterranean basin. Phytoparasitica, 34(3), 243–251.
Cox, J.M. & Ben-Dov, Y. (1986) Planococcine mealybugs of economic importance from the Mediterranean Basin and their distinction from a new African genus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae). Bulletin of Entomological Research, 76, 481–489.
Dalla Montà, L., Duso, C. & Malagnini, V. (2001) Current status of scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) in the Italian vineyards. Bollettino di Zoologia Agraria e Bachicoltura Ser. II, 33(3), 343–350.
De Barro, P.J. & Driver, F. (1997) Use of RAPD PCR to distinguish the B biotype from others biotypes of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). Australian Journal of Entomology, 36, 149–152.
Demontis, M.A., Ortu, S., Cocco, A., Lentini, A. & Migheli, Q. (2007) Diagnostic markers for Planococcus ficus (Signoret) and Planococcus citri (Risso) by random amplification of polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction and species-specific mitochondrial DNA primers. Journal of Applied Entomology, 131(1), 59–64.
Engelbrecht, D.J. & Kasdorf, G.G.F. (1990) Transmission of grapevine leafroll disease and associated closteroviruses by the vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus. Phytophylactica, 22(3), 341–346.
Hoy, M.A. (2003) Insect molecular genetics. Academic Press/Elsevier San Diego, 544 pp.
McEwan, N.R., Bakht, J., Cecchini, E., Coultart, A., Geri, C., McDonald, F.N., McDonald, M.S., Rahman, N.N.A. & Williamson, G. (1998) Examination of the pipetting variation between individuals performing random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Journal of Microbiological Methods, 32, 213–215.
Mendel, Z., Gross, S., Steinberg, S., Cohen, M. & Blumberg, D. (1999) Trials for the control of the citrus mealybug in citrus orchards by augmentative release of two encyrtid parasitoids. Entomologica, 33, 251–265.
Pérez, T., Albornoz, J. & Domìnguez, A. (1998) An evaluation of RAPD fragment reproducibility and nature. Molecular Ecology, 7, 1347–1357.
Rotundo, G. & Tremblay, E. (1982) Hybridization and sex pheromone responses in two closely related mealybug species (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae). Systematic Entomology, 7, 475–478.
Saccaggi, D.L., Krüger, K. & Pietersen, G. (2008) A multiplex PCR assay for the simultaneous identification of three mealybug species (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae). Bulletin of Entomological Research, 98, 27–33.
Simon, C., Frati, F., Beckenbach, A., Crespi, B., Liu, H. & Flook, P. (1994) Evolution, weighting and phylogenetic utility of mitocondrial gene sequences and a compilation of conserved polymerase chain reaction primers. Annals of Entomological Society of America, 87, 651–701.
Tanne, E., Ben-Dov, Y. & Raccah, B. (1989) Transmission of the corky-bark disease by the mealybug Planococcus ficus. Phytoparasitica, 17(1), 55.
Ulubaş Serçe, Ç., Kaydan, M.B., Kilinçer, A.N. & Ertunç, F. (2007) Investigation of mealybug (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae) species from Turkey by RAPD. Phytoparasitica, 35(3), 232–238.
Vincze, T., Posfai, J. & Roberts, R.J. (2003) NEBcutter: a program to cleave DNA with rescriction enzymes. Nucleic Acids Research, 31, 3688–3691.
Walsh, P.S., Metzqer, D.A. & Higuchi, R. (1991) Chelex 100 as a medium for simple extraction of DNA for PCR-based typing from forensic material. Biotechniques, 10, 506–512.
Williams, D.J. & Granara de Willink, M.C. (1992) Mealybugs of Central and South America. C.A.B. International Wallingford, 635 pp.