Florida Entomologist (2022) 105, 206-210

Marinalva Martins dos Santos, Letícia Alves Carvalho Reis, Evander Alves Ferreira, Michael Willian Rocha de Souza, Janaína Baldez Gomes, Isabel Moreira da Silva, José Eduardo Serrão, Marcus Alvarenga Soares and José Cola Zanuncio (2022)
Physiological aspects of Olea europaea (Oleaceae) attacked by Saissetia oleae (Hemiptera: Coccidae)
Florida Entomologist 105 (3), 206-210
Abstract: Information on the occurrence and damage by Saissetia oleae (Olivier) (Hemiptera: Coccidae) on Olea europaea L. (Oleaceae) plants is scarce. Saissetia oleae is a sucking insect and its feeding on the phloem affects the photosynthetic apparatus of cells. The objective of this research was to evaluate the occurrence and to determine the effect of S. oleae on the physiological characteristics of O. europaea cultivars. The experiment was carried out in the field in Diamantina, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, in a randomized block design in a 2 × 4 factorial scheme (plants of the cultivars 'Arbequina,' 'Ascolano,' 'Grappolo,' and 'Koroneiki' attacked or not). The total number and population density of S. oleae on the abaxial and adaxial sides of the O. europaea leaves were evaluated by direct counting in summer, autumn, and winter. The emission of chlorophyll was evaluated by measuring the fluorescence parameters on leaves per treatment and season. The total number of S. oleae was higher on the cultivar Grappolo than on the Ascolano and Arbequina. Grappolo, Koroneiki, and Ascolano showed a population decline of this insect in winter. The initial chlorophyll "a" fluorescence was higher in O. europaea damaged by S. oleae. The maximum photochemical quantum yield of photosystem II/maximum fluorescence ratio of chlorophyll "a" was equal to or greater than 0.75 for all O. europaea cultivars not attacked by S. oleae in the summer, autumn, and winter. The electron transport rate was lower in plants attacked, except for those of the Grappolo in the winter. The increase of initial fluorescence, reduction of maximum photochemical quantum yield of photosystem II/maximum fluorescence, and electron transport rate in some cultivars of O. europaea attacked by S. oleae indicate damages to the photosynthetic apparatus, resulting in a possible decrease in growth and yield of the plants.
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Database assignments for author(s): José Eduardo Serrao, Marcus Alvarenga Soares, José Cola Zanuncio

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
damage/losses/economics

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Saissetia oleae	Olive (Olea europaea)	Brazil (south)