''Geococcus coffeae'' is a species in the

mealybug Mealybugs are insects in the family (biology), family Pseudococcidae, unarmored scale insects found in moist, warm habitats. Many species are considered pest (animal), pests as they feed on plant juices of greenhouse plants, house plants and sub ...

family,

Pseudococcidae Mealybugs are insects in the family Pseudococcidae, unarmored scale insects found in moist, warm habitats. Many species are considered pests as they feed on plant juices of greenhouse plants, house plants and subtropical trees and also act as a ...

, commonly known as the coffee root mealybug, or brown scale. It lives underground where it inserts its mouthparts into roots and sucks the sap.

Description

The adult female mealybug is an elongated oval shape, and grows to a length of . It is pure white except for the reddish-brown anal lobes, which are tipped by prominent blunt hooks. A smaller pair of

chitin Chitin ( C8 H13 O5 N)n ( ) is a long-chain polymer of ''N''-acetylglucosamine, an amide derivative of glucose. Chitin is probably the second most abundant polysaccharide in nature (behind only cellulose); an estimated 1 billion tons of chit ...

ized hooks is located centrally on the last abdominal segment.

Distribution

''Geococcus coffeae'' was first described by the British mycologist and entomologist Edward Ernest Green, growing on the roots of the coffee plant, ''

Coffea liberica ''Coffea liberica'', commonly known as the Liberian coffee, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae from which coffee is produced. It is native to western and central Africa from Liberia to Uganda and Angola, and has become natu ...

'', in Suriname. It is also known from Cuba, Costa Rica, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Panama, Guatemala, Colombia and Brazil, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda and Zanzibar, India, the Philippines and Hawaii. It was first detected in Florida in 1958, growing on ornamental pot plants, '' Dieffenbachia'' and ''

Philodendron bipinnatifidum ''Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum'' (common names: split-leaf philodendron, lacy tree philodendron, selloum, horsehead philodendron) is a plant in the genus ''Thaumatophyllum'', in the family Araceae. Previously it was classified in the genus ''P ...

'', and efforts were made to restrict its spread.

Ecology

''Geococcus coffeae'' infests the roots of a number of different plant species including

grasses Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns and ...

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. S ...

mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South a ...

, palms,

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Lemon, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and lim ...

, '' Cyperus'',

pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...

and ''

Syngonium ''Syngonium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to tropical rainforests in southern Mexico, the West Indies, Central and South America. They are woody vines growing to heights of 10–20 m or more in trees. They have ...

''. Living underground, these mealybugs often go undetected. Examination of the root systems of plants in pots may reveal quantities of the wax that the insects secrete. On coffee, this mealybug prefers the smaller absorbent roots of the plant while other species such as ''

Dysmicoccus brevipes ''Dysmicoccus brevipes'' is a mealybug. The scientific name was published for the first time by Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell in 1893. The species is found primarily on pineapple and other species in the genus ''Ananas'', but also infests citru ...

'' and '' Rhizoecus nemoralis'' colonise the larger roots. The eggs are laid in groups and covered with waxy material. On hatching, the nymphs move a short way before piercing the roots with their mouthparts and starting to feed. The colony of mealybugs exude wax and secrete honeydew, forming a darkish, cork-like crust, and where there are several colonies, give a knobbly appearance to the root. This mealybug often lives in

symbiosis Symbiosis (from Greek , , "living together", from , , "together", and , bíōsis, "living") is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasit ...

with the ant ''

Acropyga exsanguis ''Acropyga exsanguis'' is a species of ant in the subfamily Formicinae. It lives in underground nests in Mexico, Central and South America.LaPolla, J.S. 2004a. ''Acropyga'' of the world. Contributions of the American Entomological Institute. 33(3 ...

'', being carried into the ant nest and tended by the ants. The mealybugs secrete the excess fluid they ingest as " honeydew" on which the ants feed.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10503935 Pseudococcidae Insects described in 1933 Hemiptera of Africa Hemiptera of Asia Hemiptera of South America Hemiptera of Central America Hemiptera of North America Hemiptera of Oceania