Coccomorpha
host weeds
giant mealybug
root mealybugs
coffee
Colombia
Arvenses hospedantes
Coffea arabica
Coccomorpha
cochinilla gigante
cochinillas de las raíces
Colombia
plantas daninhas hospedeiras
Coffea arabica
Coccomorpha
cochonilha-gigante
cochonilhas-das-raízes
Colômbia
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The giant mealybug, Puto barberi, is an insect associated with coffee plantations in Colombia, where it inhabits the roots of both coffee plants and various weed species. To determine the role of weeds in P. barberi infestation in coffee plantations, the preference of this insect for different species commonly present in the crop was evaluated. Weed species reported as mealybug hosts were included, such as Artemisia absinthium, Conyza bonariensis, Emilia sonchifolia, Sida rhombifolia, and Talinum paniculatum, as well as the weeds Borreria laevis, Clidemia hirta, Cyperus ferax, Euphorbia heterophylla, and Erechtites hieracifolia, which do not host mealybug populations in their roots. Under semi-controlled conditions, three experiments were conducted to evaluate (i) host preference when coffee and weeds were grown together, (ii) migration from weeds to coffee plants, and (iii) migration from coffee plants to weeds. The results showed that P. barberi consistently preferred coffee roots over all weed species, with infestation levels ranging from 60% to 99%. The insect readily migrated from Conyza bonariensis to coffee plants but remained preferentially associated with coffee roots once established.These findings identify C. bonariensis as an important reservoir and dispersal source of P. barberi, supporting its removal as part of integrated cultural management strategies in coffee plantations.
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