Abstract
The parasitoid complex of black scale Saissetia oleae (Olivier) (Hemiptera: Coccidae) was studied on citrus and olives to determine their relative abundance, seasonal trend, geographical distribution, and their incidence on black scale populations. Branches and leaves of ten citrus and four olive groves infested with black scale were periodically collected over the period March 2003–December 2005 in eastern Spain, covering an area of 10,000 km2. Adult parasitoids were also sampled with a portable engine-powered suction device. Black scale females were attacked by Scutellista caerulea (Fonscolombe) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), which was found beneath 35.4 ± 7.5% and 22.4 ± 3.5% female scale’s body in citrus and olive groves, respectively. However, S. caerulea attacked the scales when most of their eggs had already hatched. The parasitic mite Pyemotes herfsi (Oudemans) (Prostigmata: Pyemotidae) fed on all development stages of S. caerulea. The gregarious female’s endoparasitoid Metaphycus lounsburyi (Howard) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) was common in citrus and olive trees, but the parasitism rates it reached was low. Second and third instars of black scale were mainly parasitized by the solitary endoparasitoid Metaphycus flavus (Howard), and secondarily by Metaphycus helvolus (Compere) which was much less abundant and limited in distribution. Thus, M. helvolus, introduced 30 years ago, has not displaced M. flavus as in other Mediterranean areas. According to their abundance, distribution and incidence, M. flavus and S. caerulea appeared as the main parasitoids of black scale in eastern Spain, whereas M. helvolus and M. lounsburyi, considered the main parasitoids in other citrus and olive areas of the world, had a limited incidence. Recommendations for improving the level of biological control are discussed.
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Acknowledgements
We wish to thank Dr. Robert F. Luck and two anonymous referees for their advices and careful review of our manuscript. We are grateful to Alejandro Alicart, Andrés Alonso, Ana Cano, Salut Cuñat, Miriam García, Francisco Girona, José Miguel Martinez, Cristina Mases, Juan Carlos Meliá, Vicente Mestre, Santiago Mompó, José Enrique Sanz, Ma Carmen Torralba and Manuel Viciedo for assistance in locating suitable groves for sampling. We also thank to the following staff at Entomology Department of the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia for their technical and taxonomic assistance: Carmen Marzal, Paco Ferragut, Lupita Alvis, Marta Martinez, Miguel Angel Martinez, Laura Bargues and Cristina Navarro. This study was supported by Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología into the Project AGL2002–00725.
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Tena, A., Soto, A. & Garcia-Marí, F. Parasitoid complex of black scale Saissetia oleae on citrus and olives: parasitoid species composition and seasonal trend. BioControl 53, 473–487 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-007-9084-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-007-9084-2