Behaviour of the fruit-tree mealybug Rastrococcus invadens Williams (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) at high temperatures in Togo.
Agricola U.
Author Affiliation: Fachbereich Biologie, Philipps-Universität, D-3550 Marburg, Germany.
Mitteilungen der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Allgemeine und Angewandte Entomologie 8 : 771-774
Abstract : On mangoes in the field in Togo, all instars of Rastrococcus invadens were seen to stretch out the abdomen from the leaf surface at a right angle if the leaves were exposed to bright sunlight. In the laboratory, the degree of lifting was found to be related to temperature. The reaction started at about 34°C and reached a maximum at 37°C. Temperatures measured in the field on leaves exposed to bright sunlight were 34.5-41.1°C, indicating that the reaction of the mealybug to high temperature can be interpreted as a heat-regulating mechanism.