Species: Phenacoccus gossypii Townsend and Cockerell - Catalog
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Common name: Mexican mealybug

Notes: In most cases, literature referring to this species actually pertains to Phenacoccus madeirensis; P. gossypii is relatively rare.

Field Characters: We expect the field appearance of this species to be the same as for P. madeirensis, but it has not been recorded in the literature.

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Validation characters: Cerarii-like aggregations on anterior abdomen, thorax, and head, but not on dorsomedial areas of abdominal segments VI and VII; dorsal multilocular disk pores present in mediolateral areas of thorax; dorsal oral-collar tubular ducts scattered over surface; quinquelocular pores abundant on ventral surface; 18 pairs of cerarii; denticle on claw; antennae 9-segmented.

Comparison: Phenacoccus gossypii is very similar to P. franseriae and P. madeirensis by having dorsal multilocular pores and dorsal oral-collar tubular ducts; cerarii on medial or mediolateral areas of dorsum; numerous quinquelocular pores; and a mushroom-shaped circulus. Phenacoccus gossipi differs by having mediolateral multilocular pores on the thorax, whereas P. franseriae and P. madeirensis lack multiloculars in this area.

U.S. quarantine notes: Although P. gossypii has been identified hundreds of times from quarantine interceptions, these determinations are mostly misidentifications of P. madeirensis. Several species of Phenacoccus other than P. franseriae, P. gossypii, P. madeirensis, P. parvus, P. solani, and P. solenopsis have been taken at US ports-of-entry including: P. avenae Borchsenius (Turkey on bulbs), P. azaleae Kuwana (Japan on azalea), P. manihoti Matile-Ferrero (Central Africa and South America on Manihot), and P. pergandei Cockerell (Japan and Korea on Diospyros, Magnolia, Malus, Prunus, Punica,and Rhododendron).

References: Willia1987c; WilliaGr1992.

All references mentioning: Phenacoccus gossypii

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