Valid Names Results

Pseudococcus dysmicus Gimpel & Miller, 1996 (Pseudococcidae: Pseudococcus)

Pseudococcus dysmicus Gimpel & Miller 1996: 46. Type data: U.S.A.: Washington, Kittias County, Cle Elum, on Centaurea sp.. Holotype, female, Type depository: Washington: United States National Entomological Collection, U.S. National Museum of Natural History, District of Columbia, USA; accepted valid name Illustr.

Families: 3 | Genera: 7

Countries: 1

Biology: Observations in by Rethwisch, et al. 2013 noted that an adult female western trochanter mealybug was usually present even as very young mealybugs (crawlers) were emerging from the filamentous white colored ovisac. The ovisacs were always associated with Bradyrhizobium nodules in crevices created by root and nodule formation, but were not observed on nodules on feeder roots which were smaller and formed after those present on tap roots. Ovisacs were noted to range from 33-99 mm below the soil surface, averaging 66 mm.
Economic Importance: Rethwisch, et al., 2013 reported that in Nebraska western trochanter mealybugs were found only on soybeans that had been treated with Optimize 400 (EMD BioSciences (now Novozymes BioAg), active ingredient 5 lipochito oligosaccharide (LCO technology) and inoculant 5 Bradyrhizobium japonicum). This treatment is known to stimulate early root growth and increase soybean root growth/nodules compared to untreated soybeans. Soybean roots with this treatment may have been more advanced in growth and therefore more accessible to mealybugs and/or producing greater quantities of attractant substances to P. dysmicus at time of initial colonization.
General Remarks: Good description and illustration of the adult female given by Gimpel & Miller (1996).