Taxonomy
The obscure mealybug is thought to have evolved in Australia or South America. Its history in North America is not clear; from 1900 (when P. maritimus, the grape mealybug, was first described) to 1960, the obscure mealybug was variably misidentified as or synonymized with P. maritimus, P. longispinus, P. obscurus Essig, P. capensis Brian, P. malacearum Ferris, and P. affinis (Maskell). This taxonomic confusion has hampered attempts to trace the exact origin of the species, but its presence in both Australia and South America strongly suggests that it is of Gondwanan origin.
Read more about this topic: Pseudococcus Viburni