The mango coccid, Rastrococcus iceryoides Green (Homoptera: Coccidae) and its natural enemies.
Tandon P. L., Lal B.
Author Affiliation: Central Mango Research Station, Lucknow 226 006, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Current Science 47 : 467-468
Abstract : The damage caused by Rastrococcus iceryoides (Green) on mango and other plants in India is briefly reviewed. Particularly serious damage was observed on mango in September-October 1974 near Lucknow in the State of Maharashtra; leaves, and subsequently young shoots and flowers, were infested by the first- and second-instar nymphs, resulting in premature leaf-drop. The females laid over 350 eggs each on average. On heavily infested shoots brought into the laboratory with a view to mass-rearing the coccid, the pteromalid parasite Promuscidea unfaciativentris Gir. and the encyrtid parasites Anagyrus pseudococci (Gir.), Gyranusoidea sp. and Praleurocerus viridis (Agarwal) (Paraleurocerus viridis) emerged from the nymphs; together they gave 42% parasitism, the first 2 species being the most abundant. Also, Monomorium floricola (Jerd.) was found preying on first-instar nymphs of R. iceryoides maintained on pumpkin in the laboratory.