African Entomology (2005) 13, 143-147

V.M. Walton and K.L. Pringle (2005)
Developmental biology of vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Homoptera : Pseudococcidae), and its parasitoid Coccidoxenoides perminutus (Timberlake) (Hymenoptera : Encyrtidae)
African Entomology 13 (1), 143-147
Abstract: Life table analyses were conducted for Planococcus ficus and Coccidoxenoides perminutus at five temperatures between 18 and 30 ^oC. The intrinsic rates of increase (rm) for both species were similar, reaching maxima at 25 ^oC (rm=0.169 for P. ficus; rm=0.149 for C. perminutus). The net replacement rate (Ro) of P. ficus was higher than that of C. perminutus at all five temperatures tested. The Ro of P. ficus reached a maximum at 21 ^oC (308.87 days) and that of C. perminutus at 25 ^oC (69.94 days). The lower and upper threshold temperatures for development of P. ficus were estimated at 16.59 and 35.61 ^oC, respectively. The lower threshold for development of C. perminutus was 8.85 ^oC. The upper threshold could not be determined as there was no turning point on the graph. Both insects were well adapted to temperatures in the Western Cape Province.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Vaughn Martin Walton, Ken L. Pringle

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Planococcus citri		South Africa
	Planococcus ficus		South Africa
Coccidoxenoides perminutus (parasitoid)	Planococcus citri		South Africa