Bulletin of Entomological Research (2001) 91, 307-315

Waktola M. Wakgari and J.H. Giliomee (2001)
Population dynamics of the white wax scale, Ceroplastes destructor (Hemiptera: Coccidae), on citrus in South Africa, with implications for biological control
Bulletin of Entomological Research 91 (4), 307-315
Abstract: The population dynamics of the white wax scale, Ceroplastes destructor Newstead, was studied intensively in four easy-peel citrus orchards in the Western Cape Province of South Africa over three consecutive years (1997-1999). Key factor analysis was used to determine and quantify the contribution of individual mortality factors to the total generation mortality. Key stage mortality, determined from a cohort life table, was in the third instar and pre-ovipositing female stages. Mortality of C. destructor was caused primarily by parasitoids, predators and miscellaneous factors. Parasitoids and miscellaneous factors acted as density-dependent regulatory agents during the pre-ovipositional and first instar stages respectively. This has implications for biological control of C. destructor. Some of the mortality factors acted either randomly with no reference to the population densities or in an inverse density-dependent manner during the egg-crawler, second or third instar stages.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Waktola M. Wakgari, Jan H. Giliomee

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
population dynamics/ epidemiology
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.
	Ceroplastes destructor	Citrus (genus)	South Africa