The Monitoring and Molecular Identification of the Mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) on Okra Plants at Sharkia Governorate

Mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) are small piercing–sucking insects that infesting a wide range of crops and vegetables and their species are similar, which makes it difficult for non-specialists to distinguish between them. Samples were collected of infested okra plants from five districts at Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. This study aimed to study the distribution of  the cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley and its associated parasitoid as well as the identification of this species by molecular characterization due to the high degree of morphological similarity between different closely related species of mealybugs. It was found that the Parasitism has a big influence on the occurrence of this insect infestation and this species of mealybug was confirmed by amplified and sequenced  DNA loci known to be informative for species identification by provides information of 28S ribosomal RNA gene sequence. Consequently, the success of IPM programs against mealybugs depends on the correct definition of this pest through genetic characterization to choose the best control strategies. On the other hand, the difficulty of correctly identifying these species leads to its difficulty in choosing appropriate methods of control, especially biological control where each pest has a specific species of its natural enemy, which controls it biologically.