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The cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in Israel: pest status, host plants and natural enemies

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Abstract

In Israel, the cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley, an invasive scale insect, was reported for the first time in the Jordan Valley in 2008 on basil (Ocimum basilicum) and bell pepper (Capsicum annuum). This mealybug is highly polyphagous with economic and environmental impacts. Since then, Ph. solenopsis has spread to almost every region of Israel and developed high populations on several ornamental plants, mainly Hibiscus sp. (Malvaceae) and Lantana sp. (Verbenaceae). It has become a pest in greenhouses, mainly on bell pepper, tomato, and eggplant (Solanaceae) and a serious threat in cotton fields. Fourteen species of insect natural enemies have been found in association with Ph. solenopsis in Israel the common ones were: Aenasius arizonensis (Girault) (Hym. Encyrtidae), Cheilomenes propinqua (Mulsant), Hyperaspis vinciguerrae (Capra); H. polita Weise, Exochomus nigripennis (Erichson), Parascymnus varius Kirsch and Scymnus flagellisiphonatus (Fursch) (Col., Coccinellidae). To date, the population density of Ph. solenopsis in Israel is steeply decreasing in most regions of Israel due to the activity of A. arizonensis. An identification key to distinguish between adult females of the eight species belonging to the genus Phenacoccus in Israel is also provided.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to many gardeners, landscape managers and plant protection officers, (in particular, Shmuel Shmueli, head gardener, Kibbutz Eilot, Amnon Boymel, plant protection inspector and Svetlana Dobrinin, extension officer), who shared valuable information of infested hosts on their properties and allowed us to obtain plant material for this study. MS would like to thank Ezra Ravins, director of The Southern Arava R&D, for his support of this study. This research is partially funded by grant No. 94-02-0001 of the Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Agriculture.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Israel National Center for Biodiversity Studies and School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Malkie Spodek

  2. The Southern Arava R&D, 8882000, D.N. Eilot, Israel

    Malkie Spodek

  3. Department of Entomology, Institute of Plant Protection, ARO, The Volcani Center, HaMaccabim Road, P.O. Box 15159, 7528809, Rishon LeTsiyon, Israel

    Yair Ben-Dov, Alex Protasov & Zvi Mendel

  4. Science Department, Sapir Academic College, 7919, D.N. Hoff Ashkelon, Israel

    Lily Mondaca

  5. Bio-Bee, 1081000, Sde Eliyahu, Israel

    Eyal Erel

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  1. Malkie Spodek
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Correspondence to Zvi Mendel.

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Spodek, M., Ben-Dov, Y., Mondaca, L. et al. The cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in Israel: pest status, host plants and natural enemies. Phytoparasitica 46, 45–55 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12600-018-0642-1

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