Role of pteromalid parasitoid Scutellista caerulea (Fonscolombe) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) for biological control of the soft scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccidae) in Egypt

Abstract

The pteromalid parasitoid, Scutellista caerulea (Fonscolombe) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) is one of the most effective parasitoid associated with soft scale insects. This work dealt with the biological role of this parasitoid during 2009 and 2010 in Egypt. The results indicated that the parasitoid, S. caerulea was emerged from 8 species of soft scale insects. The host soft scale insects were Ceroplastes floridensis Comstock, Ceroplastes rusci (L.), Coccus hesperidum L., Kilifia acuminata (Signoret), Parasaissetia nigra (Nietner), Saissetia coffee (Walker), Saissetia oleae (Olivier) and Waxiella mimosae (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Coccidae). Population abundance studies of S. caerulea were carried out on the aforementioned soft scale insects in eight locations in Egypt, being Beni Seuf, Gharbiya, Giza, Ismailia, Marsa Matruh, Northern Coast, Qena and Sharqiya. The highest rate of parasitism attained with S. oleae was found to be 38.2 and 40.9 % during the first and second years, respectively. While average parasitism rates was 21.3 and 23.5 % during the two years under consideration, respectively. The results indicated that S. caerulea was the effective parasitoid attacking some soft scale insects in Egypt.

Ecological studies on the wax scale insect Waxiella mimosae (Signoret) and the mealybug Trabutina serpentina (Green) infested Tamarix trees in Giza Governorate

“…Ben-Dov and Guerrieri (2009) recorded the parasitoid Anicetus africanus (Girault) (Hymenoptera, Encyrtidae) newly recorded from Israel associated with W. mimosae. Badary and Abd-Rabou (2011) mentioned that the pteromalid parasitoid, Scutellista caerulea (Fonscolombe) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) is one of the most effective parasitoids associated with soft scale insects in Egypt and was found emerged from W. mimosae (Signoret). Evans and Abd-Rabou (2013) found about seven parasitoids associated with W. mimosae.…”

Influence of Temperature, Photoperiod, and Supplementary Nutrition on the Development and Reproduction of Scutellista caerulea Fonscolombe (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)

“…Unlike the other major parasitoids of P. nigra , the parasitoid Scutellista caerulea Fonscolombe (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) can provide an effective control for P. nigra in high-temperature environments. Scutellista caerulea Fonscolombe is an egg parasitoid of multiple species of scale insects, including Ceroplastes rusci Linnaeus, Saissetia oleae Olivier, Coccus hesperidum Linnaeus, and Ceroplastes floridensis Comstock [ 26 , 27 , 28 ]. Larvae of S. caerulea are ectoparasitic and feed on host eggs under its abdomen [ 29 ].…”

“…A survey conducted by Awamelah et al (2009) in Jordan found that the S. caerulea was highly abundant from September to October, and that its population density significantly decreased from November to December [ 30 ]. Badary and Abd-Rabou (2011) investigated the parasitism rate of S. caerulea at eight locations in Egypt and found that its parasitism rates were highest from September to October [ 28 ]. Additionally, S. caerulea was recently found in parasitized P. nigra collected in a rubber tree nursery in Hainan, China, with more than 60% of parasitism rate in the field [ 31 ].…”