da Silva, E.B., Departamento de Protecção de Plantas e de Fitoecologia, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa (ISA/UTL), 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal, Centro de Estudos Florestais, ISA/UTL, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal
Mendel, Z., Department of Entomology, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
Franco, J.C., Departamento de Protecção de Plantas e de Fitoecologia, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa (ISA/UTL), 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal, Centro de Estudos Florestais, ISA/UTL, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal

The existence of facultative parthenogenesis in mealybugs has been reported by different authors and questioned by others in relation to certain species. We tested the hypothesis of facultative parthenogenesis in relation to three mealybug species, Planococcus citri (Risso), Pseudococcus calceolariae (Maskell) and Pseudococcus viburni (Signoret). The results suggest that these mealybug species are obligate amphimictic. © Springer Science & Business Media B.V. 2009.