Molecular and morphological studies on the genus Pseudococcus Westwood (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae) in Turkey

Abstract

Mealybugs (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae) include economically important insect pests worldwide. Pseudococcus Westwood is the second biggest genus in Pseudococcidae, with several pest species. Pseudococcus adult females were collected and identified from wild and cultivated plants in Turkey. Molecular and morphological characters were analyzed to investigate the relationship among species. It was recognized that Pseudoccoccus species are shown in three distinctive groups concerning to both morphological and molecular aspects.