Scientific name

Cacoxenus (Gitonides) perspicax (Knab) (=Cacoxenus perspicax, Gitona perspicax, Gitonides perspicax)

Taxonomic position

Diptera: Drosophilidae

Diagnosis

Head yellow, with prominent orange-red eyes. Thorax and scutellum with brown dots and patterns. Abdomen creamy yellow with black bands. A commonly collected predator of mealybugs and occasionally, aphids.

Recently, Marie-Therese & Leonidas (2003) solved the problem in the identity of C. perspicax and provided a key to the species of the subgenus Cacoxenus (Gitonides).

Images

Cacoxenus adult  Cacoxenus adult  Cacoxenus adult  Cacoxenus adult  Adult, dorsal view   Adult, dorsal view
Cacoxenus adult lateral view  Cacoxenus adult lateral view   Adult, lateral view

Distribution

Widely distributed in the Oriental, Ethiopian and Australian regions. Recorded from India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Nigeria, Congo, Gabon and several African countries.

Hosts / Associated habitat

Predatory on mealybugs (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae). Commonly collected in association with several mealybugs like Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green), Planococcus lilacinus (Risso), Nipaecoccus viridis (Newstead), Rastrococcus iceryoides (Green), Saccharicoccus sacchari (Cockerell), etc. on sugarcane, pomegranate, citrus, guava, mango, jack, etc. Occasionally also collected in association with aphids.

References

  • Mani, M. & Krishnamoorthy, A. 1997. Suppression of spherical mealybug, Nipaecoccus viridis (Newstead) (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) on jack fruit. Entomon, 22(2): 161-163.
  • Marie-Therese, C. & Leonidas, T. 2003. Les especes orientales et australiennes du sous-genre Cacoxenus (Gitonides) Knab (Diptera: Drosophilidae) (The oriental and australian species of the subgenus Cacoxenus (Gitonides) Knab (Diptera: Drosophilidae)). Annales de la Societe entomologique de France, 39(3): 271-286. [In French].
  • Rajendra, A. 1974. The biology and control of Saccharicoccus sacchari Ckll. (Hom: Pseudococcidae) the pink mealy bug of sugar cane in Sri Lanka. Ceylon Journal of Science, Biological Sciences, 11(1): 23-28.
  • Tsacas, L. & Chassagnard, M.T. 1999. The Afrotropical species of the subgenus Gitonides Knab of the genus Cacoxenus Loew, with larvae predatory on mealybugs (Diptera: Drosophilidae). Annales de la Societe Entomologique de France, 35(1): 91-121 [In French].