Putting the Sting on Mealy Marauders: Thailand Unleashes South American Wasps to Save Its Cassava Crop [Slide Show]

The cassava mealybug ( Phenacoccus manihoti ) thrives on the plant's starchy root --a staple of many diets worldwide. That's because the pest and the crop evolved together in South America , before Europeans transplanted the woody shrub across the world in Africa and Asia. In the absence of these pest insects the crop has thrived in countries ranging from Nigeria to Thailand. [More] Africa - Cassava - South America - Agriculture - Asia

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