Vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae ), a Key Pest in South African vineyards. A Review

Abstract

Vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Signoret), is a key pest in vineyards in the Western Cape and North-West Provinces of South Africa and more recently in the USA. This pest was first reported in the Western Cape Province in 1943. The taxonomy and identification of this species are made difficult by complex slide-mounting techniques and the lack of qualitative characteristics. Vine mealybug is polyphagous with a wide range of host plants. P. ficus causes direct crop loss due to desiccation of bunches in the case of wine grapes and unsightly honeydew excretion on bunches in the case of table grapes. High infestations of P. ficus can cause early leaf loss and resultant weakening of vines. Vine mealybug also vectors the vine leaf roll virus. This pest is currently controlled using chemical, biological and cultural control techniques in an integrated pest-management system. This system relies on the use of pheromone and physical monitoring techniques, which provide information on infestation levels.

An Overview of the Vine Mealybug (Planococcus ficus) in South African Vineyards and the Use of Entomopathogenic Nematodes as Potential Biocontrol Agent

“…For example, there are only minor differences in the arrangement and number of glandular ducts on the dermis of P ficus and P citri (Walton, 2003;Walton & Pringle, 2004b). A number of efforts have been made to assist with mealybug identification.…”

“…1) undergoes incomplete FIGURE 2 Dissected mealybug showing the developed nematodes in a drop of water (Stokwe & Malan, 2010). metamorphosis, passing through five growth stages, including an egg, three nymphal instars (crawlers) and, lastly, the adult (Picker et al, 2002;Walton & Pringle, 2004b;Holm, 2008;Franco et al, 2009). After mating, each oviparous female lays an average of 362 eggs within white egg sacs or ovisacs constituted of filamentous waxy hairs (Walton, 2003).…”

“…Currently there still are various colloquial names in use that could easily lead to confusion. For instance, common names of the species given by De Villiers (2006) include both vine mealybug and grapevine mealybug, whereas Walton and Pringle (2004b) and HoIm (2008) both provide another two vernacular names, the subterranean vine mealybug and the Mediterranean vine mealybug. Henceforth in the current document, the name vine mealybug will be used, bearing in mind that the species must not be mistaken for the closelyrelated grape mealybug, Pseudococcus maritimus (Ehrhorn).…”

“…The mealybug in question was originally identified as Planococcus citri (Risso), and subsequently correctly identffied as P ficus in 1975 (Walton & Pringle, 2004b;Holm, 2008). Planococcus ficus, which was first recorded as being a problem in the vineyards of the Western Cape province in 1930, had spread to the Hex River Valley by 1935, as well as to all other major vineyards in the Western Cape (Walton, 2003;Walton & Pringle, 2004b;De \lilliers, 2006;Holm, 2008). It is currently regarded as a key pest insect of the South African table grape and wine industries.…”

“…It is uncertain how and whenP.ficus was introduced to South African agriculture, and where it originates from. Presumably being native to the Mediterranean region, it is assumed to have entered the South African system via plant material (Walton & Pringle, 2004b;De \lilliers, 2006). Internationally it has spread and caused damage to vineyards …”