Ezeh, A.E., Hereward, J.P., Day, M.D., Taylor, T., & Furlong, M.J. 2023 Confirming the identity of the Hypogeococcus species (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) associated with Harrisia martinii (Labour.) Britton (Cactaceae) in Australia: Implications for biological control. Austral Entomology DOI: 10.1111/aen.12641

Keywords:

genetics

host

taxonomy

Notes: Hypogeococcus pungens is now considered to constitute a species complex, and the specimens from Australia are genetically similar to the Cactaceae clade of this species complex from Argentina. The insects collected in Australia can also reproduce parthenogenetically. These findings help confirm that all populations of the mealybug in Australia are not H. festerianus, but part of the H. pungens cryptic species complex.