The Comparative Efficacy of Two Traps for Monitoring Parasitoids of the Vine Mealybug Planococcus ficus Signoret (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in the Western Cape Province, South Africa

Abstract

Three parasitoids (Anagyrus pseudococci, Leptomastix dactylopii and Coccidoxenoides perminutus) of the vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus, were monitored using both yellow sticky traps and yellow delta traps, the latter baited with lures containing the female pheromone of P. ficus. The yellow sticky trap is usually used to monitor parasitoids and predators whilst the yellow delta trap is used to monitor male Planococcus ficus. All three parasitoid species showed positive phototaxis to the traps. There was no significant difference in the total number of parasitoids caught on the yellow sticky traps and yellow delta traps between the areas except at Morgenster at P=0.05. The yellow delta traps and yellow sticky traps showed different peak reflectances of 42.96% and 30.58%, respectively. The yellow delta traps (12.5 kWh/m2) were more efficient than yellow sticky traps (4.2 kWh/m2) in attracting parasitoids at low sunlight radiation. Generally, the results showed that the yellow delta trap with the pheromone lure used to monitor male mealybugs could also be used to monitor the natural enemies of the female P. ficus.