TUBITAK Destekli Projelerden Çıkan Yayınlar Topluluğu
Published January 1, 2016 | Version v1
Journal article Open

Investigating Biological Control Agents for Controlling Invasive Populations of the Mealybug Pseudococcus comstocki in France

Creators

  • 1. Univ Nice Sophia Antipolis, INRA, CNRS, UMR 1355 7254,Inst Sophia Agrobiotech, F-06900 Sophia Antipolis, France
  • 2. CNR, Ist Protez Sostenibile Piante, Via Univ 133, I-80055 Naples, Italy
  • 3. Montpellier Supagro, CIRAD, CS 30016, UMR,CBGP,INRA, 755 Ave Campus Agropolis, F-34988 Montferrier Sur Lez, France
  • 4. Univ Padua, Dipartimento Agron Anim Alimenti Risorse Nat & Am, Viale Univ 16, I-35020 Legnaro, Italy
  • 5. Cukurova Univ, Imamoglu Vocat Sch, TR-01330 Adana, Turkey
  • 6. Lattakia Ctr Rearing Nat Enemies, Latakia, Syria
  • 7. ANSES, Lab Sante Vegetaux, Unite Entomol & Plantes Invas, CS 30016, 755 Ave Campus Agropolis, Montferrier Sur Lez, France

Description

Pseudococcus comstocki (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is a mealybug species native to Eastern Asia and present as an invasive pest in northern Italy and southern France since the start of the century. It infests apple and pear trees, grapevines and some ornamental trees. Biocontrol programmes against this pest proved successful in central Asia and North America in the second half of the 20th century. In this study, we investigated possible bio-control agents against P. comstocki, with the aim of developing a biocontrol programme in France. We carried out systematic DNA-barcoding at each step in the search for a specialist parasitoid. First we characterised the French target populations of P. comstocki. We then identified the parasitoids attacking P. comstocki in France. Finally, we searched for foreign mealybug populations identified a priori as P. comstocki and surveyed their hymenopteran parasitoids. Three mealybug species (P. comstocki, P. viburni and P. cryptus) were identified during the survey, together with at least 16 different parasitoid taxa. We selected candidate biological control agent populations for use against P. comstocki in France, from the species Allotropa burrelli (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) and Acerophagus malinus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). The coupling of molecular and morphological characterisation for both pests and natural enemies facilitated the programme development and the rejection of unsuitable or generalist parasitoids.

Files

bib-d75035dd-d2ca-4d6a-a825-43bc243f0b6e.txt

Files (384 Bytes)

Name Size Download all
md5:90993387aa73624226500ea319d8b8a4
384 Bytes Preview Download