Pineapple mealybug, Dysmicoccus brevipes Cockerell (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae): a new threat to garden pea, Pisum sativum L. in India

Abstract Pea, ( Pisum sativum , Leguminaceae), also called garden pea is herbaceous annual plant grown worldwide for its edible seeds. Several studies reported that about 20 insect pest attack this crop and cause substantial yield loss. The pineapple mealybug, Dysmicoccus brevipes Cockerell (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is reported for the first time from garden pea from Jharkhand state of India. The nymph and adult mealybugs were collected from four different locations of garden pea fields and identified through morphological characters and further their identity confirmed with molecular characterization using partial (658bp) mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 ( mtCO1 ) gene. Nymphs and adults of mealybugs suck the sap from the roots as well as stem base near the soil surface. The mealybug infested roots were observed with dark circles and plants showing wilting symptoms. The infestation of D. brevipes was observed in the month of November, 2022 with 5% plant infestation in the early crop growth stage, where as the maximum of 45% infestation was recorded in the month of August, 2022. This study confirms that garden pea as the new host for D. brevipes and its damage symptoms.