Ferrisia virgata (Cockerell)

Family

Pseudococcidae

Common name

Striped mealybug

Field characters

Body elongate oval; body dark gray; legs dark brown; covered by white mealy wax, with 2 submedial longitudinal bare areas on dorsum; dorsal ovisac absent, a few filamentous strands on venter, forming a pad; with 1 pair of conspicuous lateral wax filaments, about 1/2 as long as body. Occurring on all parts of plant, usually in protected area. Usually ovoviviparous. With numerous thin crystalline rods protruding from dorsum.

Validation characters

Within Ferrisia-like tubular ducts, dark rim around opening of duct orifice is defined as sclerotization A, lighter area outside of A is called sclerotization B. Discoidal pores usually not touching outer margin of sclerotization B and not protruding from margin of B; setae associated with ferrisia-like tubular ducts usually in sclerotization B, not touching A; with translucent pores variable (absent; present on on hind coxa only; present on hind coxa and tibia; present on hind coxa, femur, and tibia; and present on hind femur and tibia); antenna usually less than 600µ long; ventral multiloculars present on posterior 3 abdominal segments, usually more than 15 pores on segment VI, often forming double row; ferrisia-like rim around large tubular ducts; 1 pair of cerarii.

Comparison

Ferrisia virgata is most similar to F. dasylirii by having clusters of small oral-collar tubular ducts on ventral margin of posterior abdominal segments; multilocular pores on posterior 3 abdominal segments; discoidal pores associated with most oral-collar tubular ducts. Ferrisia virgata can be distinguished (characters of F. dasylirii given in parentheses) by having discoidal pores not touching margin of sclerotization B [where sclerotization B is defined as lighter sclerotized area outside of sclerotization A and sclerotization A is defined as dark rim surrounding opening of duct orifice] and discoidals not protruding from B margin (normally touching margin of B and protruding); ventral multilocular pores on segment VI usually number more than 15 pores, often organized in double row (less than 15, usually in single row); usually with translucent pores on hind coxa (usually absent from coxa); and antenna usually less than 600µ long (more than 600µ).

U.S. quarantine notes

Ferrisia was recently revised by Kaydan & Gullan (2012) and at least some of the recent interceptions of Ferrisia species represent misidentifications. Based on information given by Kaydan & Gullan (2012) this species remains the most common and polyphagous species in the genus and it is found in all zoogeographic regions. Several species of Ferrisia other than F. dasylirii (Cockerell), F. malvastra McDaniel, F. terani Williams & Granara de Willink and F. virgata have been taken at U.S. ports-of-entry including F. colombiana Kaydan & Gullan (Colombia, on cut flower); F. kondoi Kaydan & Gullan (Guyana, on Syzygium; Honduras, on Codiaeum; Mexico, on Echeveria, Gardenia, Zingiber); F. meridionalis (Argentina, on grape, grapefruit; Chile, on Hypericum; Mexico, on Euphorbia; Uruguay, on Baccharis); F. pitcairnia Kaydan & Gullan (Puerto Rico, on bromeliaceae), F. uzinuri Kaydan & Gullan (Bahamas, on Codiaeum; Dominican Republic, on Citrus; Haiti, on Phaseolus); F. williamsi Kaydan & Gullan (Bolivia, on Codiaeum; Brazil, on Spondias; Guyana, on Codiaeum; Nicaragua, on orchid).

Important references

KaydanGu2012; WilliaGr1992; Willia2004.

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