Citrus Mealybug Performance and Plant Strata Preference on Different Coffee Varieties

• Published in: Neotropical entomology Vol. 50; no. 1; pp. 46 - 52
• Main Authors: Rodrigues-Silva, Nilson, Silva, Gerson Adriano, Gontijo, Pablo Costa, Galdino, Tarcísio Vinsintin da Silva, Ribeiro, Arthur Vieira, Picanço, Marcelo Coutinho
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-02-2021
• Subjects: Agriculture; Behavior and Bionomics; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Ecology; Entomology; Life Sciences; coffee plant; spatial distribution; preference and canopy strata; Planococcus citri
• ISSN: 1519-566X; 1678-8052
• DOI: 10.1007/s13744-020-00826-2

The optimal defense theory stipulates that a plant prioritizes the defense of young tissue against herbivory, which may affect the spatial distribution of the attacking insect and its impact on plant performance. In this study, we evaluated the feeding and oviposition site preferences of the citrus mealybug,
Planococcus citri
(Risso, 1813) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), when comparing different parts of the canopy of two coffee varieties as well as its fertility and life history parameters. We evaluated the feeding preference, oviposition site choice, and the distribution of different development stages of
P. citri
on different strata (apical, median, base, and trunk regions) of two coffee varieties,
Coffea arabica
and
Coffea canephora
, as well as the associated variations in life history parameters and fertility. The citrus mealybug preferred to feed and oviposit on young leaves despite the presence of high levels of defense compounds. On average, more than 38% of
P. citri
preferred the apical leaves of cv.
Coffea arabica
compared to the other parts of the plant. However, in cv.
C. canephora
, the proportion that preferred the apical leaves was greater than 55%. The net reproduction rate (R0) and the intrinsic rate of increase (
rm
) of
P. citri
reared on
C. canephora
were significantly higher than those seen on
C. arabica
. The generation time (T) of
P. citri
reared on
C. arabica
was significantly longer than that observed on
C. canephora
. The estimated population growth rate of mealybugs on
C. canephora
varieties over 15 generations was more than twice that of the population on
C. arabica
. The dispersion ability and choice of the most nutritious plant strata by nymphs and adults on coffee plants are fundamental to the fitness of these mealybugs. Mealybugs showed a distinct preference for
C. canephora
.