Pesticidi i fitomedicina 2018 Volume 33, Issue 2, Pages: 89-96
https://doi.org/10.2298/PIF1802089S
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Bionomy of small spruce bud scale, Physokermes hemicryphus (Dalman) (Hemiptera: Coccidae) in Serbia
Simonović Marija (Faculty of Agriculture, Belgrade)
Dervišević Marina (Faculty of Agriculture, Belgrade)
Graora Draga (Faculty of Agriculture, Belgrade)
Small spruce bud scale, Physokermes hemicryphus (Dalman) (Hemiptera:
Coccidae), is a Holarctic, oligophagous species developing on plants of the
genera Picea and Abies (Pinaceae). It is a serious pest of Picea abies in
Serbia, which causes drying and falling of needles, branches and even drying
of entire plants. A study of the bionomy of Ph. hemicryphus was carried out
at five locations in Serbia in 2016 and 2017. Ph. hemicryphus was found to
develop one generation annually and to overwinter as second-instar larvae on
spruce branches. Adults emerge at the beginning of April and oviposition
takes place at the beginning of May. Larvae hatch in the second half of May;
during summer they feed on spruce needles and moult into second-instar
larvae in September. Scale populations are controlled by a number of natural
enemies. Five species of parasitoid wasps were reared: Coccophagus lycimnia
(Walker) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), Metaphycus unicolor Hoffer, Microterys
lunatus (Dalman), Pseudorhopus testaceus (Ratzeburg) (Hymenoptera:
Encyrtidae) and Pachyneuron muscarum (L.) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), as
well as five predatory species: Anthribus nebulosus Forster (Coleoptera:
Anthribidae), Exochomus quadripustulatus L., Scymnus abietis Paykull,
Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and Chrysoperla carnea
(Stephens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae). The most efficient parasitoid of Ph.
hemicryphus was P. testaceus, reducing scale populations up to 28.97%, while
the most efficient predator was A. nebulosus with an efficacy of up to
51.72%.
Keywords: small spruce bud scale, Picea abies, bionomy, natural enemies, Serbia