An account of cassava mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) with a description of a new species

Abstract

AbstractThe literature on the history and biology of the cassava mealybug in AfricaPhenacoccus manihotiMatile-Ferrero is reviewed, and reports on the search for natural enemies of this species in the Neotropics for biological control purposes are summarised. Further records of the distribution ofP manihotiin Africa are presented. A new closely-related species ofPhenacoccus, P. herrenisp. n., which causes distortion to cassava in the Neotropical Region is described, and a key is provided to separate it fromP. manihotiand from a similar species from the Neotropical Region,P. surinamensisGreen, which apparently does not occur on cassava.P. surinamensisis redescribed and illustrated.