Phenacoccus saccharifolii (Green) (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) on sugarcane in Tamil Nadu, India

In this study, we report Phenacoccus saccharifolii (green) on sugarcane in Tamil Nadu, India, though an earlier un-reported isolated occurrence was observed by us in the farmers’ fields at Pugalur, Tamil Nadu. This pest has now become a major threat to sugarcane cultivation across the state as it can often kill the infested canes with or without the association of the fungal disease, pokkah boeng. Field observations revealed that the ratoon crop was affected more than the plant crop in the same locality. This species was found in large colonies, primarily between the –2 and +1 leaf of the sugarcane plant and hence, named as crown mealybug. Infestation leads to severe mottling in the leaf whorl and death of the central shoot. To the best of our knowledge, there are no earlier studies on the occurrence of this mealybug on Saccharum spontaneum L. Well-deve-loped colonies showed high activity of three encyrtid parasitoids, viz. Aenasius phenococci (Ashmead), Aenasius arizonensis (Girault) and Leptomastix dactylopii Howard in the areas surveyed.