Abstract
The maritime pine bast scale, Matsucoccus feytaudi Ducasse (Hemiptera: Matsucoccidae), occurs in the western part of the Mediterranean basin and is a sap sucking insect that feeds only on maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton). It causes damage in SE France and Italy, where it was accidentally introduced. In Spain information is scarce and, moreover, almost nothing is known about the predators of this species. This study was designed to determine the seasonal trends in abundance of M. feytaudi and its major predators, which might help to improve the biological control of this pest in other areas. Natural P. pinaster stands in the Valencian Community (Spain) were surveyed in 2004. In addition, the seasonal trends in abundance of M. feytaudi and its natural enemies were monitored in three stands over a period of three years (2002, 2005 and 2006). The monitoring was carried by wrapping sticky tapes around tree trunks and using delta traps baited with sexual pheromone. The maritime pine bast scale was detected in all the stands surveyed. At almost all the sites surveyed, three species of predators were captured: Elatophilus nigricornis Zetterstedt (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), Hemerobius stigma Stephens (Neuroptera: Hemerobiidae) and Malachiomimus pectinatus (Kiesenwetter) (Coleo- ptera: Malachiidae). The presence of M. pectinatus is noteworthy as this is the first record of this species as a possible predator of M. feytaudi. The results show that M. feytaudi, although differing in its phenology depending on the location, is univoltine in the study area. The prepupae, pupae and adults of M. feytaudi appeared between December and March in colder areas and between October and February in warmer areas. E. nigricornis nymphs are important predators of M. feytaudi, and were abundant when the scale insect (crawlers, prepupae, pupae, male and female adults) was present. The flight period of E. nigricornis and the hemerobiid H. stigma ranged from May to October. However, these flight patterns did not correlate with the presence of the different stages of the bast scale (crawlers, prepupae, pupae, male and female adults) on the surface of tree trunks. The presence of M. pectinatus in large numbers in some stands suggests it might be an important natural regulator, which helps to keep M. feytaudi populations at low den- sities in the areas of Spain studied. This malachiid shows a strong kairomonal attraction to the sexual pheromone of M. feytaudi and its flight activity is significantly correlated with the presence of crawlers of bast scale.
Highlights
The maritime bast scale, Matsucoccus feytaudi Ducasse 1941 (Hemiptera: Matsucoccidae), feeds only on maritime pine, Pinus pinaster Aiton
The traps baited with the sexual pheromone of M. feytaudi caught maritime bast scales in all the P. pinaster stands studied in the Valencian Community (Table 2)
The traps baited with the sexual pheromone of M. feytaudi caught three other species of insect, namely E. nigricornis, H. stigma and M. pectinatus (Table 2)
Summary
The maritime bast scale, Matsucoccus feytaudi Ducasse 1941 (Hemiptera: Matsucoccidae), feeds only on maritime pine, Pinus pinaster Aiton. In some of the areas where this insect has been accidentally introduced it causes severe damage, e.g., SE France, N Italy and Corsica This species was implicated in the decline of 120,000 ha of maritime pine in SE France between 1960 and 1970 (Carle, 1974; Riom & Tacon, 1994). M. feytaudi has become a serious pest in N Italy (Liguria) where it was introduced in the late 1970s (Arzone & Vidano, 1981; Covassi & Binazzi, 1992) and Corsica where it was detected for the first time in 1994 (Jactel et al, 1996, 1998, 2006). M. feytaudi is considered to be univoltine (Riom & Gerbinot, 1977; Arzone & Vidano, 1981; Covassi & Binazzi, 1992), in Portugal, Branco et al (2001) report that most are univoltine but a few are bivoltine
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
