Biological Control of Insect Pests: Southeast Asian Prospects - EcoPort

BRAZIL
CHILE
CHINA
CUBA
CYPRUS
FRANCE
4.15 Planococcus citri 301
and, of these, L. dactylopii may have been the local form. Of the predators,
Cryptolaemus montrouzieri was established, but only briefly and two
species of Hyperaspis and Scymnus sordidus failed to breed on P. citri
(Simmonds 1957; Bennett and Hughes 1959).
P. citri is common on a range of plants, but citrus is seldom infested. In
1939 Leptomastidea abnormis and Leptomastix dactylopii were
commonly reared from it, and it was attacked by numerous predators,
including Hyperaspis c-nigrum, Nephus sp., Diomus sp., lacewings and
cecidomyiids. Anagyrus pseudococci was not recorded, although it was
present in Argentina (Compere 1939).
Cryptolaemus montrouzieri was introduced in 1931, 1933 and 1939, but
establishment is not recorded, although it is present on Easter Is (Ripa et al.
1995). Extensive releases of two parasitoids from California resulted in
establishment: Leptomastidea abnormis during 1931Ð36 and Leptomastix
dactylopii in 1936 and 1938: both of these and Coccidoxenoides peregrinus
were also established on Easter Is (Ripa et al. 1995). Attempts failed in 1954
to establish from California: Allotropa citri, Anagyrus pseudococci,
Coccidoxenoides peregrinus and Pseudaphycus perdignus (Duran 1944;
Gonzalez and Rojas 1966).
Four species of parasitic wasp were introduced from China to California in
1950: a uniparental species of Coccidoxenoides and a biparental species of
Allotropa from Guangzhou, a biparental species of Pseudaphycus from
Taiwan and a biparental species of Coccophagus from Hong Kong (Flanders
1951).
Seven natural enemies attack P. citri on coffee including a Leptomastix sp..
A cecidomyiid predator was commonest (Martinez et al. 1992). A fungus
Aspergillus flavus was also detected (Martinez and Bravo 1989).
Leptomastix dactylopii was introduced from Italy in 1977 and became
established, attaining a parasitisation rate of 15% in 1979. At harvest there
were far fewer P. citrus on the fruit than in a plot that had received 3
applications of insecticide (Krambias and Kontzonis 1980).
Cryptolaemus montrouzieri was introduced from California in 1918 and
became established, but overwinter survival was low (Marchal 1921, 1922;
Poutiers 1922; Marchal and Pussard 1938). Of the 6 species of mealybug on
citrus in the Mediterranean basin, P. citri is the most injurious. Damage by it
in France is such that an economic injury level of 2% infested fruit has been