Biological control studies on the mango green shield scale Chloropulvinaria polygonata (Ckll.) (Homoptera, Coccidae) in India.
Mani M., Krishnamoorthy A.
Author Affiliation: Division of Entomology and Nematology, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore 560089, India.
Entomon 23 : 105-110
Abstract : Chloropulvinaria polygonata has become a serious pest of mango in the Indian subcontinent despite use of insecticides for its control. It was found to be attacked by three species of parasitoids, Coccophagus bivittatus, a species near C. nigricorpus and a species near Metaphycus helvolus, and three predators, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, Mallada astur and Spalgis epius [S. epeus], in mango orchards around Bangalore, Karnataka, India. The coccinellid C. montrouzieri is a new record on C. polygonata, although it had previously been recorded on other species of Chloropulvinaria. A study conducted on the predatory potential of C. montrouzieri revealed that the predator consumed about 2400 eggs of C. polygonata in its larval developmental period of 15.40 days. C. montrouzieri was found to be very effective in suppressing the scale population in two mango orchards near Bangalore.