New to nature No 97: Ferrisia uzinuri

Pinpointing new species of mealy bug is of huge benefit to the agricultural industries of afflicted nations worldwideMealy bugs are small, soft-bodied scale insects that attach themselves to plants where they feed on fluids, weakening or damaging the host and sometimes transmitting disease. Their common name derives from dense cottony wax secretions with which they enrobe their body. Sexual dimorphism is extreme in mealybugs with "wasp-like" winged males that lack functional mouthparts and live only days, just long enough to mate, and flightless females that are largely sedentary once they attach to a host plant.In 1893, a mealy bug known today as Ferrisia virgata was found in Jamaica, attacking a wide variety of plants. Soon, it became apparent that this was a serious pest in many tropical areas including India, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, West Africa and Java. It seems that the species had originated in South America and been transported around the world by the shipping trade. The genus Ferrisia was named in 1923 to accommodate this species. In spite of additional species being described, to this day most mealy bugs detected at ports are identified as F virgata, often mistakenly. And although a couple of species have been introduced to tropical countries around the globe, the genus is natively endemic to the New World.In the 1970s, electrophoresis revealed gaps in enzymes present in various populations of F virgata, leading Dr Uzi Nuri to speculate this might be a comp...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Farming World news Features Animals The Observer Zoology Environment Agriculture Science Wildlife Source Type: news