Global Plant Protection News

First report of papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), in Kenya
Source: Journal of Agricultural and Urban Entomology
Event:  New Location

Recently, papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), was found feeding on cultivated Carica papaya (papaya), Manihot esculenta (cassava), Capsicum annuum (pepper), Psidium guajava (guava), Mangifera indica (mango), and Solanum melongena (eggplant) plants in Kenya. Infestation by Paracoccus marginatus resulted in up to 100 percent yield loss in C. papaya. This is the first report of Paracoccus marginatus in Kenya.

Paracoccus marginatus is a pest of many other economically important crops, including Solanum lycopersicum (tomato), Hibiscus spp., and Rosa spp. (rose). Paracoccus marginatus has also been reported from other parts of Africa, Israel, Southeast Asia, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the United States. In the United States, it has been reported from Hawaii, Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. Paracoccus marginatus is listed as reportable in the PEST ID database (queried 2/28/18).

References:

1. Macharia, I., E. Kimani, F. Koome, T. Kosiom, H. Heya, M. Otipa, et al. 2017. First report and distribution of the papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus, in Kenya. Journal of Agricultural and Urban Entomology 33(1):142-150. Last accessed March 1, 2018, from http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.3954/JAUE17-02.1.

Other PestLens articles about this pest:
First report of papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), in Israel
First report of papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), in China
First report of papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), in Tanzania
First report of the coffee mealybug, Planococcus kenyae, and the papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), on Mauritius
Papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), outbreak in India

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