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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #145263
Title: SEASONAL PHENOLOGY AND NATURAL ENEMIES OF MACONELLICOCCUS HIRSTUS IN AUSTRALIA

Author
item GOOLSBY, JOHN - ABCL
item KIRK, ALAN - EBCL
item MEYERDIRK, DALE - APHIS

Submitted to: Florida Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/20/2002
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The pink hibiscus mealybug is a pest insect that has recently invaded the US in California and Florida. It attacks hundreds of ornamental plant species and many important crop plants such as citrus, papaya, and cotton. It was first detected in the Caribbean in the 1990's and was brought under excellent biological control using imported parasitic wasps. The pink hibiscus mealybug is believed to be native to eastern Australia, but little is known about its seasonal phenology or natural enemies. The research presented in this paper shows that pink hibiscus mealybug stays at very low levels year round in Australia. This is due to the high populations of predatory beetles and parasitic wasps that keep it in check. A survey was also conducted in the hotter, drier parts of northern Australia which detected a predatory moth larvae and parasitic wasp species. The parasitic wasp species may be useful as a biological control agent in the hotter, drier parts of the southwestern USA, should the introduced parasites fail to deliver the desired level of control.

Technical Abstract: Foreign exploration for natural enemies of pink hibiscus mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus, was conducted in Australia from 2000 TO 2002. In Queensland, the predaceous beetle Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, the predaceous drosophilid fly, Cacoxenus perspicax and the encrytid parasitoid Gyranusoidea indica were recovered. In Western Australia and the Northern Territory a predatory noctuid, Mataeomera sp., an aphelinid parasitoid Coccophagus sp., and a probable encyrtid hyperparasitoid, Coccidoctonus sp. were reared from M. hirsutus on a native Hibisicus species. A field study was conducted from February 2000 to March 2002 in Sherwood, Queensland to document the seasonal phenology of M. hirsutus in its native habitat on its preferred host, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. Populations of the mealybug stayed at or below detectable levels for most of the study with minor population peaks in the summer months.