Environmental Entomology (1982) 11, 177-180
H.A. Dean and D.E. Meyerdirk (1982)
Ceroplastes cirripediformis parasite complex on Texas citrus
Environmental Entomology 11 (1), 177-180
Abstract: Barnacle scale, Ceroplastes cirripediformis Comstock (Homoptera: Coccidae), reached damaging levels in several groves in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas during 1975. Metaphycus eruptor Howard was the most numerous primary parasite, although Coccophagus ochraceus Howard, Ammonoencyrtus californicus (Compere), and an unknown encyrtid were also recovered. Effectiveness of the primary parasites was apparently reduced by the hyperparasites Marietta pulchella (Howard), Tetrasticus minutus (Howard), and Cheiloneurus inimicus Compere. Parasitism by primaries varied from 4 to 31%, and that by hyperparasites 0.0 to 56%. Individuals per host varied from 1 to 22 for primaries and 1 to 9 for hyperparasites. A single incident was found in research plots of a possible association between increase in barnacle scale and use of dicofol. Because of the effective biological control, barnacle scale was scarce on Texas citrus during 1977.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Dale Meyerdirk
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
surveys/sampling/distribution
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
surveys/distribution/isolation
