BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF THE MANGO SCALE AULACASPIS TUBERCULARIS NEWSTEAD (COCCIDAE: DIASPIDIDAE) BY A PARASITOID APHYTIS CHIONASPIS REN (HYMENOPTERA: APHELINIDAE)

The mango scale, Aulacaspis tubercularis Newstead, is a pest in all mango producing areas in South Africa.
Damage is caused by scales feeding on fruit resulting in external lesions rendering it unmarketable for export.
This pest is under good biological control in most other mango producing countries and therefore it was decided to introduce an exotic biological control agent and try to establish it in different mango producing areas.
Consequently, the ectoparasitoid Aphytis chionaspis Ren (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) was introduced from Thailand in 1995, mass reared, released and established in most of the mango producing areas.
During the next few years parasitoids were regularly monitored and recovered in release sites, where it was found that they dispersed successfully in these, as well as neighboring orchards.
High levels of parasitism were obtained in certain sites after release of A. chionaspis. Ten years after its original release, another survey was conducted to determine the presence and percentage parasitism in most of the mango producing areas and results were verty similar to those obtained during the first 3 years of the study.
It can be accepted that this beneficial insect is currently making a valuable contribution towards the biocontrol of A. tubercularis in South Africa.

VIII International Mango Symposium

M.S. Daneel, P.H. Joubert

mangoes, commercial production, insect damage, Encarsia citrina, beneficial insects

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2009.820.72