Informatics Publishing Limited

M. Mani ¹, A. Krishnamoorthy ², C. Shivaraju ¹, A. N. Shylesha ¹, D. S. Pokharkar ³

Affiliations
1 National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects, P.O. Box No. 2491, Farm Post, Bellary Road, Hebbal, Bangalore 560 024, IN
2 Division of Entomology and Nematology, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta Lake Post, Bangalore 560 089, IN
3 AICRP on Biological Control, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, College of Agriculture, Pune 411 005, IN

Abstract

The encyrtid Pseudleptomastix mexicana Noyes and Schauff was recovered for the first time from the papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus Williams and Granara de Willink in India in 2011-12 after 10 to 20 months of release in Bangalore and also in Pune in April 2012. However, parasitism by P. mexicana on P. marginatus did not exceed more than five per cent in both the locations.

Keywords

Pseudleptomastix mexicana, Parasitoid, Papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus.

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S. Sudhir Kumar ¹, C. T. Ashok Kumar ¹, C. Shivaraju ¹, M. Thippaiah ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Agricultural Entomology, UAS, GKVK, Bengaluru,560065, Karnataka, IN

Abstract

Application of Beauveria bassiana (Bals) @ 1x 109 spores/ml twice was found to be best treatment with lowest mean thrips population (9.53/plant) with highest per cent reduction (64.15) followed by Verticillium lecanii (Zimmerman) @ 1x109 spores/ml (20 and 30 DAP) with 49.89 per cent reduction. Chrysoperla zastrowi sillemi 20,000 /ac (20 DAP) + B. bassiana @ 1x109 spores/ml (30 DAP) with 41.50 per cent reduction was found to be next best treatment. The treatment with C. z. sillemi @ 20,000 /ac (20 and 30 DAP) was least effective treatment with lowest per cent reduction (28.59).

Keywords

Chrysoperla zastrowi sillemi, Beauveria bassiana, Onion, Thrips and Verticillium lecanii.

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M. Mani ¹, C. Shivaraju ¹, A. N. Shylesha ²

Affiliations
1 Division of Entomology and Nematology, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta, Bangalore 560 089, Karnataka, IN
2 National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects, Bangalore 560 024, Karnataka, IN

Abstract

The papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus Williams and Granara de Willink (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is native of Mexico and /or Central and North America. Since its description in 1992, it has invaded several Carbbean Islands, Florida, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Taiwan, India, Bangladesh, West Africa, and it is likely to spread many other countries. It is highly polyphagus attacking more than 70 plant species causing severe loss. Insecticides failed to give adequate control of P. marginatus. On the other hand, natural enemies particularly, Acerophagus papayae Noyes and Schauff were highly useful to suppress the papaya mealybug. Its origin, distribution, taxonomy, biology, ecology, host range, natural enemies and methods of control particularly classical biological control are reviewed here.

Keywords

Paracoccus marginatus, Invasive Mealybug, Acerophagus papayae, Biology, Distribution, Host Range, Natural Enemies, Taxonomy, Classical Biological Control.

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M. Kalayanasundaram ¹, M. Mani ², C. Shivaraju ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641 003, IN
2 Division of Entomology and Nematology, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore 560 089, IN

Abstract

The role of Cryptolaemus montrouzieri as an effective predator of Paracoccus marginatus Williams and Granara de Willink was often doubtful. Natural colonisation of C. montrouzieri was observed on papaya at Sathyamangalam (Tamil Nadu). The number of larvae were 18 to 30 per leaf. The massive colonisation of C. montrouzieri, will help in its effective utilisation against P. marginatus.

Keywords

Paracoccus marginatus, Cryptlolaemus montrouzieri.

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M. Mani ¹, A. Krishnamoorthy ¹, C. Shivaraju ¹

Affiliations
1 Division of Entomology and Nematology, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore -560 089, IN

Abstract

Mealybugs, known to be 'hard to kill pests', live in protected areas and most stages in their life cycle are covered in a waxy coating. Several insecticides are found ineffective against mealybugs. Fortunately, mealybugs - being sessile insects - are more amenable to biological control. The exotic parasitoid, Leptomastix dactylopii How., was found to be highly effective in suppressing citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Risso.) permanantly on citrus, sapota, guava, pomegranate and coffee. This is one of the recent successes in classical biological control attempts in India. However, the Australian ladybird beetle, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Muls., often provides spectacular control of heavy infestation of P. citri on acid lime, lemon, sweet orange, pummelo, Crossandra and custard apple. Though Anagyrus dactylopii (How.), is a potential parasitoid of pink hibiscus mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green), on grapes, releases of C. montrouzieri only help in suppression of the pink hibiscus mealybug on grapes, ber, guava, sapota, custard apple, citrus and hibiscus. The encyrtid parasitoid, Tetracnemoidea indica (Ayyar), was able to check the oriental mealybug, Planococcus lilacinus (Ckll.) on acid lime and pomegranate. The predators, C. montrouzieri and Spalgis epeus Westwood, also play a major role in suppression of P. lilacinus on guava, ber, sapota and chow-chow. The local parasitoid, A. dactylopii was seen to play a major role in suppression of spherical mealybug, Nipaecoccus viridis (Maskell) on citrus and jackfruit. Nevertheless, releases of C. montrouzieri are found highly effective in controlling N. viridis on acid lime and pummelo. Similarly release of C. montrouzieri is found to be highly effective in controlling striped mealybug, Ferrisia virgata (Ckll.), on guava, tuberose and Acalypha in 30-40 days of release. A local parasitoid, Aenasius advena Comp., also plays a major role in suppression of F. virgata on guava, mango, guava, hibiscus, fig, citrus, etc. Release of the coccinellid predator, C. montrouzieri, was found very effective in controlling the mango coccid, Rastrococcus iceryoides (Green) on mango and also on the medicinal plant Decalepis hamiltonii. The encyrtid, Praleurocerus viridis (Agarwal), was found very effective in reducing populations of R. iceryoides on guava. Spalgis epeus was found to be the predominant predator of the papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus Williams and de Granara Willink, but releases of the exotic parasitoid, Acerophagus papayae (Noyes&Schauff), only provide excellent control of P. marginatus within 3-4 months of release. The second successful classical biological control attempt on mealybugs in India. The brinjal mealybug, Coccidohystrix insolita (Green), is known to attack brinjal, Coleus, Hibiscus, etc. Cryptolaemus montrouzieri effectively controlled mealybugs on these three crops in 30-40 days of release. Verticillium lecanii Zimm. (Phule bugicide @ 2g/L) is found to be effective in killing the mealybug. Other fungal pathogens, viz., Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metch.), are also seen to infect mealybugs in rainy season under humid conditions.

Keywords

Mealybug, Biocontrol, Classical Biocontrol, Parasitoid, Predator.

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