Scale Insects and Natural Enemies Associated with Conilon Coffee (Coffea canephora) in São Paulo State, Brazil

Abstract

Several insect pests are related to the cultivation of conilon coffee, Coffea canephora (Rubiaceae), including (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha). Coccoids damage plants by sucking their sap, producing honeydew, and transmitting viruses. Parasitoids and predators are natural enemies that regulate the insect population and can be used in mealybug biological control. This study aimed to survey scale insects and natural enemies associated with C. canephora in the city of Jaboticabal, São Paulo State, Brazil. Two species of mealybugs from the family Coccidae and three from the family Pseudococcidae were collected in different plant structures. Natural enemies collected comprised hymenopteran parasitoids from the families Aphelinidae, Eulophidae, Encyrtidae, and Perilampidae; predator beetles of the family Coccinellidae; dipterans from the family Cecidomyiidae; and thrips of the family Aeolothripidae. This is the first report of the mealybug species Coccus brasiliensis, Pseudococcus longispinus, and Pseudococcus cryptus; of the parasitoids Coccophagus rusti, Aprostocetus sp., Aenasius advena, Aenasius fusciventris, Aenasius pseudococci, and Perilampus sp.; and of the predators Cycloneda conjugata, Pseudoazya nana, Diadiplosis coccidivora, Diadiplosis sp., and Franklinothrips vespiformis, associated with C. canephora. Knowledge of mealybug species and their respective natural enemies will contribute to biological control strategies in planning the integrated management of mealybugs associated with conilon coffee.