Host Range of Invasive Mealybug, Phenacoccus madeirensis Green (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) and its Parasitisation by Anagyrus amnestos (Rameshkumar, Noyes & Poorani) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) Lepakshi N. M.1,*, Jagadish K. S.1, Shylesha A. N.2, Sajjan P. S.1 1Department of Agricultural Entomology, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru-560065 2Agricultural Entomology, NBAIR, Hebbal, Bengaluru-24 *email: lepakshileps913@gmail.com
Online published on 23 December, 2016. Abstract In recent years several economically important mealybug species have invaded many countries, of which the Madiera mealybug, Phenacoccus maderiensis Green, has made deep inroads into several agro-ecosystems, including cotton and herbaceousornamentals. In the lastdecade, this pest has continued to spread in the Mediterranean region, south Asia and Africa. In India it was reported in cotton growing tracts of Maharashtra and Karnataka. However, in Karnataka it was reported from the districts of Ramanagara, Chamarajanagar and Kollegala. Therefore, surveys were conducted at Bengaluru and Chamarajanagar districts during 2014–15 to determine its host range and natural enemy complex. At Bengaluru, the pest was recorded on 19 plant species belonging to 12 families. The pest was recorded on four plant species under Asteraceae, three plant species under Amaranthaceae, two species each under Apocyanaceae and Euphorbiaceae, one plant species each under Acanthaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Araceae, Convolvulaceae, Fabaceae, Malvaceae, Marantaceae and Solanaceae. The intensity was very low in 6, low in 3, medium in 4 and high in 6 host plant species. In the 0–4 rating scale, highest infestation level of 4 was recorded in case of Cestrum nocturnum L., Abutilon indicum L., Codiaeum variegatum L., Acalypha indica L., Convolous arvensis and Cassia sp. However, P. madeirensis could not be recorded at any of the four different locations surveyed at Chamarajangar; instead P. solenopsis was recorded on different host plants. However, among the natural enemies, A.amnestos displayed remarkable parasitoid potential in decreasing the pest population under natural conditions, wherein the percentage parasitisation was greater on Abutilon indicum L. (32.11±22.53), lesser on croton (13.73±15.34) and moderate on Cestrum nocturnum L. and Acalypha indica L.(26.04±18.34 and 28.61±20.99, respectively). Top Keywords Madiera mealybug, abutilon. Top |