Species: Pseudococcus baliteus Lit - Catalog

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Common name: Aerial root mealybug Field Characters: The original description indicates that this species has a moderately thin covering of white powdery secretion. Based on the distribution of characters on slide-mounted specimens we suspect the species produces 17 pairs of thin, straight, waxy filaments with the posterior pair longest; probably about 1/4 length of body. A ventral ovisac is likely produced. On fruit and aerial roots of host.
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Validation characters: Dorsal setae long, normally as long as ventral setae; translucent pores on hind coxa, femur, and tibia; ventral oral-collar tubular ducts present in clusters between antennae and laterad of front and middle coxae; oral-rim tubular ducts usually sparse on dorsum, most abundant marginally, least abundant along midline and mediolaterally; without discoidal near eye. Comparison: Pseudococcus baliteus is similar to P. cryptus Hempel and P. comstocki (Kuwana) by having long dorsal setae and translucent pores on the hind coxa, femur, and tibia. Pseudococcus baliteus differs from P. cryptus by having more dorsal oral-rim tubular ducts and more marginal oral-collar tubular ducts. It can be separated from P. comstocki by lacking dorsal oral-collar tubular ducts (except strictly marginal ones). U.S. quarantine notes: This species is taken at US ports-of-entry primarily on tropical fruit from Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Several species of Pseudococcus other than P. aurantiacus, P. baliteus, P. calceolariae, P. comstocki, P. cryptus, P. elisae, P. jackbeardsleyi, P. landoi, P. longispinus, P. maritimus, P. odermatti, and P. viburni have been taken at US ports-of-entry including: P. agavis MacGregor (Mexico on Agave); P. apodemus Williams (Philippines on Fortunella and Mangifera); P. apomicrocirculus Gimpel and Miller (Mexico on orchids); P. apoplanus Williams (India on orchids); P. concavocerarii James (Somalia on Euphorbia); P. dendrobiorum Williams (Australia, India, Indonesia, Maylasia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Thailand, on orchids); P. donrileyii Gimpel and Miller (Mexico on Citrus); P. importatus McKenzie (Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Jamaica, Madagascar, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Trinidad, and Venezuela on orchids); P. microcirculus McKenzie (Antigua, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Brazil, Britain, British West Indies, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Trinidad, and Venezuela on orchids); P. nakaharai Gimpel and Miller (Mexico on cactus); P. neomaritimus Beardsley (Mexico on Citrus, Psidium, and Punica); P. neomicrocirculus Gimpel and Miller (Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Venezuela on orchids); P. orchidicola Takahashi (Kwajalein, Marshall, Samoa, Tonga on Alocasia, Dendrobium, and Pandanus); P. philippinicus Williams (Philippines on Garcinia, Lansium, Melicoccus, and Nephelium); P. sociabilis (Brazil on Annona, Cattleya, Carica, Hedera, Hippeastrum, Dahlia, Oncidium, Solanum, and Zygopetalum); Pseudococcus solenedyos Gimpel and Miller (Mexico on Mangifera, Psidium, Punica, Spondias, and Tamarindus); P. solomonensis Williams (Micronesia and Palau on Musa and Piper). References: Willia2004. All references mentioning: Pseudococcus baliteus
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