Mangala, N., Sundararaj, R., & Nagaveni, H.C. 2012 Scales and mealybugs (Coccoidea: Hemiptera) infesting Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre and their population dynamics in Karnataka, India. Annals of Forestry 20(1): 110-116

Notes: The survey conducted in Pongamia pinnata plantations revealed the presence of four species of coccids viz., Coccus longulus (Douglus), Ferrisia virgata (Cockerell), Paratachardina mahdihassani Kondo and Gullan and Rastrococcus iceryoides (Green) infesting on it in Karnataka with the first one forming a new record on P. pinnata. Among them C. longulus and R. iceryoides were found infesting young plantations and F. virgata and P. mahdihassani on older trees. Monthly mean maximum temperature exhibited significant negative correlation with the population of C. longulus, while other weather parameters did not show significant influence on its incidence. In case of F. virgata monthly mean maximum temperature exhibited significantly positive correlation while morning and evening relative humidity exhibited significantly negative correlation. For P. mahdihassani, none of the weather parameters seemed to have influence and for R. iceryoides evening relative humidity and total rainfall exhibited significantly positive correlation with its population.