Scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) associated with arabica coffee and geographical distribution in the neotropical region.

Maurício J Fornazier,Paulo S.F Ferreira,José C Zanuncio,Victor D Pirovani,David S Martins,Maria Cristina G De Willink

doi:10.1590/0001-3765201720160689

Abstract

Coffee is one of the most important Brazilian agricultural commodities exported, and Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo States are the main coffee producers. Scale insects are important coffee pests, and 73 species of Cerococcidae (3), Coccidae (18), Diaspididae (6), Eriococcidae (1), Ortheziidae (3), Pseudococcidae (21), Putoidae (2) and Rhizoecidae (19) have been associated with roots, branches, leaves, flowers and fruits of Arabica coffee in the Neotropics. Eight species were found associated with Arabica coffee in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo States in this study, and Coccidae was the most frequent family. Coccus alpinus, Cc. celatus, Cc. lizeri, Cc. viridis, and Saissetia coffeae (Coccidae) were found in both states; Alecanochiton marquesi, Pseudaonidia trilobitiformis (Diaspididae), and Dysmicoccus texensis (Pseudococcidae) were only found in Minas Gerais. Alecanochiton marquesi and P. trilobitiformis are first reported in Minas Gerais, and Cc. alpinus in Espírito Santo, on Arabica coffee. All scale insect species were associated with coffee leaves and branches, except D. texensis, associated with coffee roots. Fourty seven scale insect species have been found occurring in Brazilian Arabica coffee, and in Espírito Santo (28) and Minas Gerais (23). Widespread and geographical distribution of each species found are discussed.

Highlights

Coffee is one of the most important Brazilian agricultural commodities exported, and 80% of this coffee is produced in Minas Gerais and EspíritoSanto States
Alecanochiton marquesi and P. trilobitiformis are first reported occurring in Minas Gerais, and Cc. alpinus on Arabica coffee in Espírito Santo (Table I)
All scale insect species were associated with coffee leaves and branches, except D. texensis, associated with coffee roots

Summary

Introduction

Coffee is one of the most important Brazilian agricultural commodities exported, and 80% of this coffee is produced in Minas Gerais and EspíritoSanto States. Scale insects are major agricultural pests, when they develop in new regions of coffee plantations free from their natural enemies (Culik et al 2011) They have the habit of sucking the sap on leaves, stems, and roots, are polyphagous and attack a large number of agricultural and ornamental plantations (Miller et al 2005, García Morales et al 2016). These are insects of quarantine importance affecting the domestic and export market, causing damage to plants mainly by injecting toxins and transmitting pathogens such as viruses (Martins et al 2004, Culik et al 2006). They can infest sprouts of seedlings in nurseries, and be disseminated to new plantations (Bittenbender 2000, Fernandes et al 2009, Reis et al 2010)

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