Incidence of a New Pest, the Cotton MealybugPhenacoccus solenopsisTinsley, on Sesame in North Ethiopia

Abstract

Sesame (Sesamum indicum) is one of the most important cash crops grown extensively for its seeds in Ethiopia. Production of sesame in the country is very crucial in many aspects, but the invasion of the cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley, is becoming a big deal in its production. A survey for mealybug infestation was conducted during 2016 production season in 15 localities of "Kafta Humera" district so as to assess the incidence and severity of the pest. In each locality 2 sesame farms have been selected and 6 samples per farm (2 samples from the road sides, 2 from camp surrounding, and 2 from the central part of the farms) have been checked. During the survey, "Bowal" and "Sherif Hamad" have scored the higher incidence and severity of mealybugs. Road sides and camp surrounding of the farms were shown to have severe infestation. Stony and oxen plowed farms were also intensively invaded with cotton mealybugs. The pest has different natural means to infest new areas; thus its control measure has to be developing timely.

RNAi-Mediated Knockdown of Imaginal Disc Growth Factors (IDGFs) Genes Causes Developmental Malformation and Mortality in Melon Fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae

“…Insecticide applications are less effective due to larvae developing and feeding inside the fruit, covered by fruit pulp, and not exposed to direct insecticides ( Yee et al, 2007 ; Gogi et al, 2009 ; Sapkota et al, 2010 ). Also, insecticides contaminate the environment, have a deleterious impact on predators and parasitoids of insect pests, develop resistance, induces insect pest populations and have maximum residue levels (MRLs) issues ( Desneux et al, 2007 ; Baig et al, 2009 ; Decourtye et al, 2013 ; Gebregergis, 2018 ; Jactel et al, 2019 ; Ullah et al, 2019a , b ). Therefore, novel approaches such as RNAi will provide novel ways to control Z. cucurbitae and provide insight into functional genomics of the target genes in ECM formation.…”

Laboratory selection, cross‐resistance, and estimations of realized heritability of indoxacarb resistance in Phenacoccus solenopsis (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae)

“…Cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) originated in the New World but has now been introduced and established as a serious agricultural pest in India, Pakistan, China, North Ethiopia, Iraq, Turkey, Brazil, and Sri Lanka . It feeds on more than 200 host plants but economic damage has been reported mainly on cotton, eggplant, tomato, okra, chili, sesame, and china rose with annual worldwide losses estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars . In Pakistan, P .…”

Biology, ecology, and management of cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsisTinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

“…From 2011 to 2015, it has been prevalent in eight countries: Japan, 93 Mali and Senegal, 94 Turkey, 95 Mauritius, 96 and Iraq, Laos and Sudan. [97][98][99][100] After 2015, it was recorded in another five countries: Malaysia, 100 Swaziland, 30 Ethiopia, 101 Algeria 102 and Saudi Arabia. 103 Overall, P. solenopsis distribution was limited during 1898-2000 and increased from 2001 to 2015.…”