Management strategies of mealybug pests of citrus in mediterranean countries |
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Authors: | José?Carlos?Franco Pompeo?Suma Elsa?Borges?da?Silva Daniel?Blumberg Email author" target="_blank">Zvi?MendelEmail author |
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Institution: | 1.Dpto. de Protec??o das Plantas e de Fitoecologia,Instituto Superior de Agronomia,Lisboa,Portugal;2.Dipto. di Scienze e Tecnologie Fitosanitarie,sez. Entomologia Agraria,Catania,Italy;3.Dept. of Entomology,ARO, The Volcani Center,Bet Dagan,Israel |
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Abstract: | Six mealybug species have been reported as citrus pests in the Mediterranean Basin: the citrus mealybugPlanococcus citri (Risso), the citriculus mealybugPseudococcus cryptus Hempel, the longtailed mealybugPseudococcus longispinus (Targioni-Tozzetti), the citrophilus mealybugPseudococcus calceolariae (Maskell), the obscure mealybugPseudococcus viburni (Signoret) and the spherical mealybugNipaecoccus viridis (Newstead). Some of these species,e.g. N. viridis, have recently been introduced into the region and are still spreading. Mealybugs are usually occasional or minor pests of
citrus, but some species can reach key pest status. Mealybug management strategies in citrus have been based mostly on classical
biological control and, to a lesser extent, on augmentative releases. However, chemical control is widely used, mainly because
of the poor adaptation of the principal natural enemies to the climatic conditions of the Mediterranean. The application of
pheromones is still restricted to monitoring the citrus mealybug, whose sex pheromone is commercially available. Mass trapping
and mating disruption should be considered for possible use in IPM programs as an alternative method to supplementary chemical
treatments. Enhancement of biological control through management of ant populations is another promising tactic for control
of mealybugs. Strategies for managing mealybug pests of citrus, and possible levels of integration of different tactics according
to the pest status, are discussed.
http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Oct. 3, 2004. |
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Keywords: | Mealybugs Pseudococcidae IPM biological control Mediterranean region |
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