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First Record of Ashwagandha as a New Host to theInvasive Mealybug (Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley)in IndiaAuthor(s): Ashutosh Sharma and Pratap Kumar PatiSource: Entomological News, 123(1):59-62. 2013.Published By: The American Entomological SocietyDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3157/021.123.0114URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.3157/021.123.0114

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FIRST RECORD OF ASHWAGANDHA AS A NEW HOSTTO THE INVASIVE MEALYBUG

(PHENACOCCUS SOLENOPSIS TINSLEY) IN INDIA1

Ashutosh Sharma2 and Pratap Kumar Pati3

ABSTRACT: During the post-rainy season (October-March) 2009-10, mealybugs were found onyoung apical parts and undersides of mature leaves of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (Ashwagandha)in the Amritsar region of Punjab Province. They appeared waxy and cottony-white either in clustersor solitary, and moved very little. Host leaves were sometimes deformed and shed prematurely. Themealybugs were identified as Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Tinsley, 1898), (Hemiptera: Pseu do -coc cidae). Ants were associated with the mealybug infestation. This is apparently the first record ofP. solenopsis infesting Ashwagandha in India.

KEYWORDS: Ashwagandha, Mealybug, Pest, Withania somnifera, Phenacoccus solenopsis

INTRODUCTIONAshwagandha (Solenaceae) is a medicinal woody shrub containing many phar-

maceutically active components and therefore is used against a variety of ail-ments (Sharma et al., 2011). Leaf extract of this valuable plant is known for theselective destruction of cancer cells (Widodo, et al., 2007). However, the plant isprone to several diseases and pests under natural conditions (Pati, et al., 2008;Baghel, et al., 2010; Sharma and Pati, 2011a; Sharma and Pati, 2011b; Sharmaand Pati, 2012). In Ashwagandha the leaf is an important site for synthesis ofmany valuable pharmaceutically active constituents and therefore any infestationby microorganisms or pests may adversely affect plant health and consequentlyits medicinal value. In order to develop appropriate integrated crop-managementstrategies, it is important to study the diseases and pest profile of this valuableplant.

The mealybug P. solenopsis originally described from the United States (Tins -ley, 1898) was found on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) plants in Pakistan dur-ing 2005 and subsequently became a serious pest of cotton there (Arif, et al.,2009). Soon afterward its widespread infestation was recorded on cotton in India(Nagrare, et al., 2009), and it was found at seven different cotton growing loca-tions in Punjab province. Arif, et al. (2009) suggested that this mealybug mightalso attack many other plants. However, no infestation of P. solenopsis wasrecorded on medicinal plants grown in the region. Here we report the first recordof Ashwagandha, a highly valued medicinal plant, as a host to P. solenopsis Tins -ley, in Amritsar District of Punjab Province, India.

Volume 123, Number 1, May and June 2013 59

______________________________1 Received on June 18, 2012. Accepted on November 2, 2012. 2 CSIR-SRF, Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005 Punjab,India Email: sharma_tosh_ashu@yahoo.co.in

3 Associate Professor, Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005Punjab, India. Corresponding author – Email: pkpati@yahoo.com

Mailed on July 18, 2013

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Plant materialAshwagandha plants were grown inside a screen-house (74.82323-40

74.82332°E, 31.63678-31.63688°N, elev. 221 m.) at the Department of Biotech -nology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. The plant pots (26 cm in diame-ter, with 7 kg soil capacity), filled with soil mixture (soil: silt: cow-dung manure,2: 1: 1) were maintained and regularly watered as per regular agricultural prac-tices. The pests and pathogens infesting the Ashwagandha plants were monitoredfor three consecutive years.

Mealybug culturing and identificationThe mealybugs were collected from the aerial parts of infested plants. To iden-

tify and study the life cycle of the pest, twigs of Ashwagandha plants infestedwith mealybugs were cultured on detached leaves of Ashwagandha in the labo-ratory at 25±5°C in 20×15 (hight×diameter) cylindrical glass jars, covered withmuslin cloth. The biology of the insect was also studied in field conditions.Images were captured using Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W350 camera and Olympusstereo-microscope (Olympus corp., Japan) coupled with a Magnus imaging sys-tem.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONP. solenopsis was found on the young apical portions of the stem (Figure 1A,

B) and also on the undersides of mature leaves (Figure 1D). During heavy infes-tations, entire young stems were covered by white cottony and waxy mealybugs.Sometimes a sooty mold appeared on the leaves, probably due to fungal growthon honeydew. Ants visited infested plants regularly to feed on honeydew (Figure1C, D). The infestation led to stunted growth and wilting with foliar deformities(Figure 1B). Such foliar distortions have also been recorded on tomato (anothermember of the Solanceae), and on other plants infested by P. solenopsis in Brazil(Culik and Gullan 2005).

The adult female of P. solenopsis has two characteristic dark dorsal spots thatmay sometimes extend into a pair of dark stripes, and two short to medium waxyfilaments were present around the body. Larger anal filaments were about ¼ thebody length (Figure 1E, F). During a severe outbreak of mealybugs defoliationmay occur. About 97% of the P. solenopsis population reproduces parthenoge -neti cally (Vennila, et al., 2010), which may be the principal cause behind itswide spread nature.

Vennila, et al. (2010) studied the biology of the P. solenopsis under laboratoryconditions and Ahmad, et al. (2003) suggested integrated pest management ofP. solenopsis as the cheapest and safest method of pest control. Ahmad et al.(2011) suggested that the Neem-tree (Azadirachta indica) based insecticide(Neemosal) or the homeochemical (Fierce) can be used against low infestations

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of P. sole nop sis. However, chemical control (profenofos) during heavier infesta-tions should remain as a last option for its control. Many insecticides have beendocumented to be effective against P. solenopsisis, Profenophos (0.05%), Tria zo -phos (0.04%) and Carbaryl (0.2%) were found to be the most effective out ofnine various insecticides under both laboratory and field conditions (Nikam, etal., 2010). Suresh, et al. (2010) advocated the need based application of insecti-cides, profenophos 50 EC 2 ml/l, whereas they suggested the chlorpyriphos 20EC 2ml/l, dimethaote 2 ml/l, imidacloprid 0.6 ml/l and thiamthoxam 0.6g/l to beused as a last option for P. solenopsis management.

Regular monitoring of P. solenopsis in relation to crop damage to Ash wa -g andha will help towards designing a viable pest management strategy for thisim port ant medicinal plant of India.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSFinancial assistance from Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Government of

India, New Delhi, India, is duly acknowledged.

Volume 123, Number 1, May and June 2013 61

Fig. 1: Ashwagandha plant infested by mealybug (P. solenopsis). A. Twig heavily infest-ed by mealybug. B. Mealybugs on young apical leaves of the leaves, with characteristiccurling symptoms. C. Association of mealybugs with ants. D. Mealybugs on the under-side of the leaf and visiting ant. E. Mealybugs on the surface of stem. F. A magnifiedmealybug clearly showing the paired dark spots extending into the dark ridges on the dor-sal side, the waxy body filaments (short) and anal filaments (longer) towards the edgeswhich are the characteristics of P. solenopsis Tinsley.

LITERATURE CITEDAhmad, F., W. Akram, A. Sajjad, and A. Imran. 2011. Management practices against cotton

mealy bug, Phenacoccus Solenopsis (hemiptera: pseudococcidae). International Journal of Agri -cul ture and Biology 13:547-552.

Arif, M. I., M. Rafiq, and A. Ghaffar. 2009. Host plants of cotton mealybug (Phenacoccussolenopsis): a new menace to cotton agroecosystem of Punjab. International Journal of Agricultureand Bio logy 11:163-167.

Baghel, G., T. Jahan, B. Afreen, Q. A. Naqvi, S. K. Snehi, and S. K. Raj. 2010. Detection of abe gomovirus associated with yellow mosaic disease of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera L.) andits impact on biomass yield. Medicinal Plants - International Journal of Phytomedicines and Re -lated Industries 2:219-223.

Culik, M. P. and P. J. Gullan. 2005. A new pest of tomato and other records of mealybugs (Hemip -tera: Pseudococcidae) from Espírito Santo, Brazil. Zootaxa 964:1-8.

Pati, P. K., M. Sharma, R. K. Salar, A. Sharma, A. P. Gupta, and B. Singh. 2008. Studies on leafspot disease of Withania somnifera and its impact on secondary metabolites. Indian Journal ofMicro biology 48:432-43.

Sharma, A. and P. K. Pati. 2011a. First Record of 28-Spotted Ladybird Beetle, Henosepilachnavigintioctopunctata (F.) infesting Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal in Punjab province of NorthernIndia. Pest Technology 5:91-92.

Sharma, A. and P. K. Pati. 2011b. First report of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, as a new host ofCowbug (Oxyrachis tarandus, Fab.). In Plains of Punjab, Northern India. World Applied SciencesJournal 14:1344-1346.

Sharma, A., and P. K. Pati. 2012. First record of the carmine spider mite, Tetranychus urticae,infesting Withania somnifera in India. Journal of Insect Science 12:48 available online: insectscence.org/12.48

Sharma, A., I. Sharma, and P. K. Pati. 2011. Post-infectional changes associated with the pro-gression of leaf spot disease in Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal. Journal of Plant Pathology 93:397-405.

Suresh, S., R. Jothimani, P. Sivasubrmanian, P. Karuppuchamy, R. Samiyappan, and E. I.Jonatha. 2010. Invasive mealybugs of Tamil Nadu and their management. Karnataka Journal ofAgricultural Science 23:6-9.

Tinsley, J. D. 1898. Notes on Coccidae, with descriptions of new species. The Canadian Entomo -logist 30:317-320.

Vennila, S., A. J. Deshmukh, D. Pinjarkar, M. Agarwal, V. V. Ramamurthy, S. Joshi, K. R.Kranthi, and O. M. Bambawale. 2010. Biology of the mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis oncotton in the laboratory. Journal of Insect Science 10:115 available online: insectscience.org/10.115

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