First Report of the Papaya Mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), in Indonesia and India

Abstract

The papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus Williams and Granara de Willink (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is recorded from the Oriental Region for the first time, where it was found in Indonesia (Java) and India (Tamil Nadu) in 2008. Papaya mealybug is a polyphagous pest that damages many tropical crops. A native of Central America, it spread to the Caribbean region and South America in the 1990s; since then it has been accidentally introduced to some islands in the Pacific region. The distribution, host range and characteristics of the mealybug are summarized. Accepted: December 14, 2008 Keywords: Paracoccus marginatus, mealybug, pest, Indonesia, India, papaya