ULTRASTRUCTURE AND DISTRIBUTION OF WAX SECRETION PORE, AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF MEALYBUG WAX, Planococcus minor (MASKELL) (HEMIPTERA: PSEUDOCOCCIDAE)
Abstract
Planococcus minor (Maskell) is a species of mealybug that capable of attacking various types of plants from at least 76 plant families by feeding on plant sap, which causes stunted growth, yellowing of leaves, and can even lead to plant death. Pest control using pesticides is often ineffective because the mealybug is covered with a wax layer secreted through wax-secreting pores that protect it. To date, no studies have been conducted on the wax-secreting pores and their composition for the species P. minor. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the morphology and distribution of the wax-secreting pores, as well as the chemical composition of the wax of this species. Samples of P. minor were obtained from the crop plots at the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), Serdang and reared in the laboratory at the Insect Systematics Centre (CIS). Three adult female P. minor mealybug samples were used to observe the morphology of the wax-secreting pores using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), while 10 samples were used to examine the distribution of the pores on the mealybug integument using a light microscope. The chemical composition of the wax secreted by P. minor was extracted from 90 adult mealybug samples and analyzed using GC-MS analysis. The results showed that the wax pores of P. minor consist of three morphological types: trilocular pores, multilocular disc pores, and tubular ducts. These wax pores were mainly distributed on the sides (125.7±35.3) and at the end of the dorsum (85.6±17.1). The GC-MS data showed that the main components of the wax of P. minor are hydrocarbons, esters, and acids. Knowledge about the morphology, distribution patterns and locations of the pores, as well as the chemical composition of the wax in this species, is expected to assist in efforts to develop specific pesticides for better control of this pest in the future.
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