Natural enemies of Diaspis echinocacti in Greece and first records of Aphytis debachi and Plagiomerus diaspidis

• Published in: Phytoparasitica Vol. 38; no. 2; pp. 121 - 123
• Main Authors: Japoshvili, G.O, Stathas, G.J, Kampouris, S.G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.04.2010; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Aphelinidae; Aphytis; Aphytis debachi; Bdellidae; biological control; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cactaceae; Coleoptera; Cybocephalus; Cybocephalus fodori; Diaspididae; Diaspis echinocacti; Ecology; ectoparasites; Encyrtidae; endoparasites; fauna; Flowers & plants; geographical distribution; Hemiptera; Hymenoptera; insect control; insect pests; Life Sciences; natural enemies; new geographic records; Opuntia ficus-indica; Parasites; Parasitism; parasitoids; phenology; Plagiomerus diaspidis; Plant Pathology; plant pests; Plant Sciences; Predators; Prostigmata; Greece; Europe; Endoparasite; Ectoparasite; Encyrtidae; New records; Aphelinidae
• ISSN: 0334-2123; 1876-7184
• DOI: 10.1007/s12600-009-0080-1

Two hymenopteran parasitoids of the cactus scale Diaspis echinocacti (Bouché) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) on Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. (Cactaceae) are recorded in Greece. Aphytis debachi Azim, 1963 (Aphelinidae) is first recorded for Europe and Plagiomerus diaspidis Crawford, 1910 (Encyrtidae) is first recorded for Greece. Preliminary data on phenology and natural enemies of the scale D. echinocacti on O. ficus-indica are presented. Parasitism of D. echinocacti by P. diaspidis reached 86% in southern Greece (Kalamata) and parasitism by A. debachi reached 9.3% and 12% in Kalamata and Athens, respectively. Two predators, Cybocephalus fodori Endrödy-Youga (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) and a mite species (Prostigmata: Bdellidae), were found to be associated with D. echinocacti .