Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T18:21:11.922Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Natural enemies of three mealybug species (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) found on citrus and effects of some insecticides on the mealybug parasitoid Coccidoxenoides peregrinus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) in South Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

W.M. Wakgari*
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
J.H. Giliomee
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
*
*Fax: +27 21 808 4807 E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

The population density of mealybug species in some South African citrus orchards has increased to pest status in recent years. The characterization of the natural enemy complex and quantification of their contribution to the control of Planococcus citri (Risso), Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni-Tozzetti) and Pseudococcus calceolariae (Maskell) on Citrus limon (L.) and Citrus reticulata (Blanco) was investigated through intensive sampling. Eight primary and four secondary parasitoids, and two predator species were identified from P. citri and P. calceolariae. Anagyrus pseudococci (Girault) and Coccidoxenoides peregrinus (Timberlake) were the most common species, accounting for 44% and 21% of the total. Of the five primary parasitoids reared from P. longispinus, A. pseudococci and Anagyrus sp. were predominant, comprising 41% and 30%. Nymphal and adult parasitism (range = 0–26% vs. 0–66%) and predation (range = 0–5.6% vs. 0–4.1%) varied significantly between host trees and mealybug species (P < 0.001). The numbers of nymphal instars and adult stages of P. calceolariae and P. longispinus and the nymphal stage of P. citri that were parasitized and killed by predators correlated significantly with the total number of hosts on which they acted (P < 0.01), suggesting a density-dependent association. Laboratory bioassay of nine contact insecticides (methidathion, methomyl, methyl-parathion, parathion, profenofos and prothiofos) against C. peregrinus indicated that all were highly toxic, causing 98–100% mortality in < 6 h of treatment. The IGRs fenoxycarb and triflumuron did not cause significant parasitoid mortality (P > 0.05). However, a mixture of pyriproxyfen and mineral oil caused a marginally significant mortality (P < 0.05).

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abbott, W.S. (1925) A method of computing the effectiveness of an insecticide. In Journal of Economic Entomology, 18, 265267.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bartlett, B.R. & Lloyd, D.D. (1958) Mealybug attacking citrus in California – a survey of their natural enemies and the release of new parasites and predators. a survey of their natural enemies and the release of new parasites and predators. In Journal of Economic Entomology, 51, 9093.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bedford, E.G.C. (1968) The biology of Ceroplastes sinoiae Hall, with special reference to the ecdysis and the morphology of the test. In Entomology Memoirs, Department of Agriculture Technical Services, Republic of South Africa 14. 1111.Google Scholar
Biddinger, D.J. & Hull, L.A. (1995) Effects of several types of insecticides on the mite predator, Stethorus punctus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), including insect growth regulators and abamectin. Journal of Economic Entomology 88, 358366.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Castane, C., Arino, J. & Arno, J. (1996) Toxicity of some insecticides and acaricides to the predatory bug Dicyphus tamaninii (Heteroptera: Miridae). In Entomophaga, 41, 211216.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Darvas, B., Abd El-Kareim, A.I., Camporese, P., Farag, A.I., Matolcsy, G. & Ujvary, I. (1994) Effect of some new proinsecticide type fenoxycarb derivatives and related compounds on some scale insects and their hymenopterous parasitoids. Journal of Applied Entomology, 118, 5158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fitzpatrick, G., Cherry, R.H. & Dowell, R.V. (1978) Short-term effects of three insecticides on predators and parasites of the citrus blackfly. Environmental Entomology, 7, 553555.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Franco, J.C., Gross, S., Carvalho, C.J., Blumberg, D. & Mendel, Z. (2001) The citrus mealybug in citrus groves in Israel, Portugal and California: fruit injury and biological control as related to seasonal activity. In Phytoparasitica, 29, 86Google Scholar
Furness, G.O. (1977) Chemical and integrated control of the long-tailed mealybug, Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni-Tozzetti) (Hemiptera: Coccidae) in the Riverland of South Australia. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, 28, 319332.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grout, T.G., Richards, G.I. & Stephen, P.R. (1996) Residual toxicity of pesticides used on citrus to predacious mites (Euseius spp.). Citrus Journal, 6, 1720.Google Scholar
Hadlow, A. (1995) Successful biological control of a mealybug in grapefruit growing areas of Kwazulu-Natal. Citrus Journal, 5, 2425.Google Scholar
Harcourt, D.G. (1971) Population dynamics of Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) in Eastern Ontario. Canadian Entomologist, 103, 10491061.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hassan, S.A., Bigler, F., Bogenschütz, H., Boller, E., Brun, J.N.M., Coremans-Pelseneer, J., Duso, C., Grove, A., Heimbach, U., Helyer, N., Hokkanen, H., Lewis, G.B., Mansour, F., Moreth, L., Samsøe-Petersen, L., Sauphanor, B., Stübli, A., Sterk, G., Vainio, A., Veire, M., Van deViggiani, G. Viggiani, G. & Vogt, H. (1994) Results of the sixth joint pesticide testing programme of the IOBC/WPRS-working group ‘pesticides and beneficial organisms’. Entomophaga, 30, 107119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hassell, M.P. & May, R.M. (1974) Aggregation in predators and insect parasitoids and its effect on stability. Journal of Animal Ecology, 43, 567594.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hattingh, V. (1993) Mealybugs and cottony cushion scale on citrus in southern Africa. Citrus Journal, 3, 2022.Google Scholar
Hattingh, V. (1996) The use of insect growth regulators in integrated pest management of citrus in southern Africa. Citrus Journal, 6, 1417.Google Scholar
Hattingh, V. & Tate, B. (1995) Effects of some field-weathered residues of insect growth regulators on some Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) of economic importance as biocontrol agents. Bulletin of Entomological Research, 85, 489493.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hattingh, V. & Tate, B. (1996) Technique for mass rearing the hymenopteran mealybug parasitoid Coccidoxenoides peregrinus. Proceedings of the International Society of Citriculture, 1, 665666.Google Scholar
Hattingh, V., Cilliers, C.J. & Bedford, E.C.G. (1998) Citrus mealybugs. 112120. in Bedford, E.C.G., van den Berg, M.A. & de Villiers, E.A., (Eds) Citrus pests in the Republic of South Africa. 2nd edn. Nelspruit. Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Crops.Google Scholar
Herren, H.R., Neuenschwander, P., Hennessey, R.D. & Hammond, W.N.O. (1987) Introduction and dispersal of Epidinocarsus lopezi (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), an exotic parasitoid of the cassava mealybug, Phenacoccus manihoti, in Africa. In Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 19, 131144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Loch, A.D. & Zalucki, M.P. (1998) Outbreaks of pink wax scale, Ceroplastes rubens Maskell (Hemiptera: Coccidae), on umbrella trees in south-eastern Queensland: patterns of parasitization. Australian Journal of Entomology 37, 328334.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mansour, F., Cohen, H. & Shain, Z. (1993) Integrated mite management in apples in Israel: augmentation of a beneficial mite and sensitivity of tetranychid and phytoseiid mites to pesticides. Phytoparasitica, 21, 3951.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mendel, Z., Blumberg, D. & Ishaaya, I. (1994) Effects of some insect growth regulators on natural enemies of scale insects (Homoptera: Coccidae). Entomophaga, 39, 199209.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peleg, B.A. (1988) Effect of a new phenoxy juvenile hormone analogue on California red scale (Homoptera: Diaspididae) and the ectoparasite Apytis holoxanthus DeBach (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae). Journal of Economic Entomology, 81, 8892.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sharaf, N.S. & Meyerdirk, D.E. (1987) A review on the biology, ecology and control of Nipaecoccus viridis (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae). Entomological Society of America, Miscellaneous Publication, No. 66, 118.Google Scholar
Summy, K.R., French, J.V. & Hart, W.G. (1986) Citrus mealybug (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) on greenhouse citrus: density-dependent regulation by an encyrtid parasite complex. Journal of Economic Entomology 79, 891894.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Varley, G.C. & Gradwell, G.R. (1970) Recent advances in insect population dynamics. Annual Review of Entomology 15, 124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Varley, G.C., Gradwell, G.R. & Hassell, M.P. (1973) In Insect population ecology. An analytical approach. 212 pp. Oxford, Blackwell.Google Scholar
Wakgari, W.M. (2001) The current status of the biocontrol of Ceroplastes destructor Newstead (Hemiptera: Coccidae) on Citrus and Syzygium in South Africa. Biocontrol Science and Technology 11, 339352.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wakgari, W.M. & Giliomee, J.H. (2001) Effects of some conventional insecticides and insect growth regulators on different phenological stages of the white wax scale, Ceroplastes destructor Newstead (Hemiptera: Coccidae), and its primary parasitoid, Aprostocetus ceroplastae (Girault) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). International Journal of Pest Management, 47, 179184.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walton, V.M. & Pringle, K.L. (1999) Effects of pesticides used on table grapes on the mealybug parasitoid Coccidoxenoides peregrinus (Timberlake) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). South African Journal of Enology and Viticulture, 20, 3134.Google Scholar
Walton, V.M. & Pringle, K.L. (2001) Effects of pesticides and fungicides used on grapevines on mealybug predatory beetle, Nephus boschianus (Coccinellidae, Scymnini). South African Journal of Enology and Viticulture, 22, 107110.Google Scholar
Williams, D.J. & Granara de Willink, M.C. (1992) In Mealybugs of Central and South America. Wallingford, Oxon, CAB International.Google Scholar
Zar, J.H. (1996) Biostatistical analysis. 3rd edn. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall.Google Scholar