Interaction between mealybugs (Pseudococcidae) and coffee plants

Abstract

Mealybugs, Planococcus citri (Risso) and Planococcus minor (Maskell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) are able to colonize several plants, among them, coffee (Coffea spp.), where may impair the production of this crop. Despite this diversity of colonizing plants, frequent outbreaks of these mealybugs have been found in certain plants. In this work, we tested the hypothesis that P. citri and P. minor show a better performance, i.e., greater longevity and higher reproductive rate, as well as higher survival in a given coffee species. We studied in the laboratory the food preference of these mealybugs through a free choice test and their development and reproduction in Coffea arabica L. cv. Mundo Novo-IAC–379-19 and Coffea canephora (Pierre & Froenher) cv. Conilon 213. The responsiveness of these insects to the volatiles emitted by these coffee plants was analyzed using an olfactometer. The data showed that mealybugs preferred Conilon coffee plants over the Mundo Novo and, despite completing their development in these two coffee species, most of the biological evaluated parameters were affected by the host species. In the olfactometer assays, the volatiles emitted by the coffee plants cv. Mundo Novo and Conilon were equally attractive to these mealybugs. It is concluded that, although there is no discrimination of odors between coffee plants, Mundo Novo and Conilon, both species of mealybugs show food preference for Conilon, having their development and reproduction favored in these plants. Key words: Coffea spp.; Food preference; Olfactory responses; Performance; White mealybug.