The Coffee Red Mealybug, Nipaecoccus coffeae (Hempel) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), an uncommon mealybug attacking coffee plants in Brazil

Abstract

The Coffee Red Mealybug, Nipaecoccus coffeae (Hempel, 1919), was rediscovered in coffee crops in Brazil. Some brief recognition characters are provided to separate this mealybug from other species of the genus present in Brazil. It appears to be a rather uncommon parasite of coffee plants and is considered a secondary pest. This species is recorded for the first time in the State of Minas Gerais widening its distribution area. A predaceous hoverfly larva, Ocyptamus stenogaster (Williston, 1888), was also found predating eggs.