Abstract
The mealybug Dysmicoccus brevipes (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is an important pest of several agricultural crops and can transmit viruses, and reduce growth and production, and lead to plant mortality. Macauba palm is an oleaginous plant whose oil can be used in the production of biodiesel, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and in human food. In this context, the effect of mealybug insect attacks on the development and survival of this oleaginous remains little understood. The impact of D. brevipes attacks on macauba palm was verified by comparing the development of attacked and non-attacked plants. The spatial distribution pattern of D. brevipes in the areas studied (two areas) was also evaluated. The percentage of plants attacked by D. brevipes ranged from 52–54%. Attacked plants presented lower height (112.3–138.1 cm) and smaller crown diameter (136.8–173.6 cm) than non-attacked plants (187.8–191.6 cm and 234.7–246.2 cm). The spatial distribution of D. brevipes was best represented by the Spherical model. The attack range ranged from 4.4–5.5 m; distribution pattern of attacked plants was similar in the two plots with aggregate distribution and strong spatial dependence. The spatial distribution maps indicated that sampled plants and neighboring plants showed similar occurrence of D. brevipes. The pineapple mealybug is a pest insect with great capacity to cause mortality of young macauba plants, and can compromise the production and longevity of the attacked plants.
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Acknowledgments
We are grateful to the following Brazilian agencies: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) for financial support. Concelho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for research fellowships (SYM, MCP). Dr. Lenira Viana Costa Santa-Cecilia from the Minas Gerais Agricultural Research Corporation (Epamig), Dr. Ernesto Prado Cordero for identifying the mealybug specimens, and Dr. Danival José de Souza, from the Federal University of Tocantins for identifying the ant specimens. Mr. Phillip John Villani (B.A. from The University of Melbourne, Australia) for revising and correcting the English language used in this manuscript.
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de Araújo, V.C.R., Silva, G.A., Ramos, R.S. et al. Distribution and attack of pineapple mealybug to macauba palm Acrocomia aculeata. Int J Trop Insect Sci 41, 2765–2773 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-021-00456-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-021-00456-0