Identification keys to live and mounted mealybug (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) species associated with cassava in India and their present distribution

Abstract

Assigning correct identity to the species is the most essential requirement for effective management of the mealybug pests. It is even more crucial while sampling an infestation that harbors more than one species of mealybug. Similarly, phytosanitary regulations demand that the commodities like tubers, planting setts, fruits, etc., for export must be free from pests, including mealybugs. Species level identification in the field or at the quarantine station is difficult due to the limited number of identification keys available for segregating mealybug species in their live condition, so it is necessary to generate an identification key to the species of mealybugs associated with cassava as it fosters several mealybug species in a single cluster and recently there has been an outbreak of a mealybug species infesting this crop. A dichotomous key was constructed based on field characters and to authenticate the field level identity, another key based on microscopic morphological characteristics was developed for ten species of mealybugs infesting cassava in India. Thus, mealybugs infesting cassava in India can be differentiated in live and mounted conditions based on the keys developed.