THE PARASITOID COMPLEX AND POPULATION DYNAMICS OF THE PLUM SCALE, SPHAEROLECANIUM PRUNASTRI FONSCOLOMBE, IN GEORGIA

Abstract

THE PARASITOID COMPLEX AND POPULATION DYNAMICS OF THE PLUM SCALE, SPHAEROLECANIUM PRUNASTRI FONSCOLOMBE, IN GEORGIA.

The plum scale, Sphaerolecanium prunastri Fonscolomb, is found infesting stone fruits all over the Europe and in most of the countries of Asia and North America. Its population dynamics and parasitoid complex in Georgia are described and the latter compared with that in other countries in southern Europe. The present rates of parasitism are compared with those of an earlier survey and it is noted that there have been some changes, both in the composition and in effectiveness of the primary and secondary parasitoids. The main primary parasitoids are still Microterys hortulanus Erdös and Discodes coccophagus (Ratzburg) but, among the secondary parasitoids, Cerapterocerus mirabilis Westwood is now the most important species. It was found that the economic importance of S. prunastri had become reduced due to a reduction in the number of secondary parasitoids and an increase in numbers of primary parasitoids.

Key words: Coccophagus lycimnia, C. proximus, C. differens, Metaphycus silvestri, Pachyneuron muscarum, Marietta picta, Tetrastichus sugonjaevi, Cheiloneurus claviger, Prunus domestica, P. spinosa, P. divaricata, P. cerifera, Chalcidoidea.