First record of the giant mealybug Drosicha mangiferae (Hemiptera, Coccomorpha, Monophlebidae) in Egypt

By

Mohammad, Rehab Raafat Elsayed
Abo-Shall, Amany Mostafa
Ramadan, Hanan Mohamed

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025-12-31

Original Publication

Travaux du Muséum national d'histoire naturelle "Grigore Antipa"

Volume

68

Series / Issue

Issue: 2

Pages

263--271

Subjects

Drosicha mangiferae , Egypt , invasive pests , Monophlebidae , Morphological study

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

București, România Muzeul Național de Istorie Naturală "Grigore Antipa" -2009

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/travaux.68.e171091

 

Abstract

<br> Heavy infestations of various trees and ornamental plants by mealybug were observed on the Northern Coast of Egypt during 2024 and 2025. It was first found in one of the coastal villages, Alexandria Governorate. During this study, the insect was observed to expand and distributed in many neighboring villages. Morphological examination identified the species as the giant mealybug<br> Drosicha mangiferae<br> , an invasive species that has never before been reported from Egypt. This study documents<br> D. mangiferae<br> as a new addition to the Egyptian fauna and reports its presence for the first time in Egypt, the Mediterranean Basin, and the African continent. All diagnostic characteristics of the adult female were examined, illustrated, and photographed. Voucher specimens are deposited in the collection of the Department of Applied Entomology and Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University.<br>