The potential global distribution of the papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus, a polyphagous pest.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus, is a highly polyphagous invasive pest that affects more than 200 plants, many of which are of economic importance. We modelled the potential distribution of P. marginatus using CLIMEX, a process-oriented, climate-based niche model. We combined this model with spatial data on irrigation and cropping patterns to increase the real-world applicability of the model.

Results

The resulting model agreed with known distribution points for this pest and with broad areas where P. marginatus has been reported, but for which no GPS data were available. Our model highlights the potential expansion of P. marginatus into novel areas in Central and East Africa, as well as further expansion in Central America and Asia, as these areas are

SUBMITTER: Finch EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7894313 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature