Rastrococcus invadens Williams (Hemiptera, Pseudococcidae), a serious exotic pest of fruit trees and other plants in West Africa.
Agounké D., Agricola U., Bokonon-Ganta H. A.
Author Affiliation: Direction de la Protection des Végétaux, BP 1263, Cacaveli, Lomé, Togo.
Bulletin of Entomological Research 78 : 695-702
Abstract : Rastrococcus invadens has been the most important polyphagous pest of horticultural crops since 1982 in some West African countries. It originated in South East Asia and was probably introduced on infested plant material. The pest has been reported up to 150 km north of the coast of Benin and 5000 km north from the coast in Togo. Although the species is polyphagous, mango, citrus, breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis), banana, frangipani (Plumeria alba) and species of Ficus are among the most attacked hosts. Several indigenous natural enemies were identified, but their ability to regulate the populations of R. invadens is very low. The most important among the predators were the coccinellids Chilocorus nigrita, Exochomus promtus and E. troberti and the lycaenids Spalgis spp. In Togo, an indigenous parasitoid, Anagyrus sp. ?nr aurantifrons, has become adapted to the pest.