Hundred and sixty years of Australian lady bird beetle Crypotolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant – a global view

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe Australian lady bird beetle Cryotolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant was first discovered in 1853 in Queensland and New South Wales of Eastern Australia and New Caledonia. It has provided very good control of the sucking insect pests, particularly soft scales and mealybugs at different locations in more than 60 countries since its introduction in 1892 from Australia to California. Besides, C. montrouzieri is also known to feed on whiteflies, aphids, hard scales, dactylopiids, eriococcids, margorodids, psyllids, etc. Cryptolaemus montrouzieri takes 30 days to complete life cycle at 30°C. Pupae of C. montrouzieri are stored for about 20 days without having any adverse effect on the fecundity of the resulting adults. Potato sprouts or ripe pumpkins have been used as laboratory hosts for multiplication of mealybugs and C. montrouzieri. Cryptolaemus montrouzieri provided very good control of mealybugs and soft scales in the absence of ants. It plays a great role in the suppression of soft scales belonging to the genus Pulvinaria and the mealybugs Planococcus citri, Ferrisia virgata, Maconellicoccus hirsutus, Nipaecoccus viridis, Pseudococcus jackbeardsleyi, Coccidihystrix insolita, Pseudococcus comstocki, Pseudococcus obscures, Pseudococcus aurilanatus, etc. Botanicals, biopesticide mineral oils, insecticidal soaps, conventional insecticides dichlorvos and chlorpyriphos and the new molecules spirotetramat, imidacloprid, abamectin, fluvalinate, profenophos, ethnfenprox, flufenoxuron, spinosad and bufrofezin appear to be safer to the adults and grubs of C. montrouzieri. Therefore, these chemicals are to be integrated cautiously in the management of mealybugs and soft scales.