Tanwar R K, Jeyakumar P, Singh Amar, Jafri A A, Bambawale O M
National Centre for Integrated Pest Management, IARI Campus, Pusa, New Delhi- 110 012, India.
J Environ Biol. 2011 May;32(3):381-4.
Mealybug was considered to be a minor pest of cotton but it emerged as a major pest in 2006-2007 in North and Central zones. Extensive field surveys conducted in cotton fields during 2007-09 in Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab in the North zone and Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat in the Central zone indicated that Phenacoccus solenopsis was the only major species of mealybug recorded on cotton in North as well as Central zones except one location in Gujarat where Fenrrisia virgata Cockerrel was also recorded. Infestation of mealybug at most of the places in North and Central zones ranged from mild (10-20%) to high (40-60%) during 2007 and 2008 but reduced to traces in 2009. Extensive field survey indicated that Aenasius bambawalei Hayat (Chalcidodea: Encyrtidae), an indigenous parasitoid, played a key role in reducing the insect pestinfestation. The parasitoid was first recorded in Delhi in July 2008 and by 2009 it was found in most of the cotton growing districts of North and Central zones. Its natural parasitization on P solenopsis could reach more than 90% at many locations. This is the most successful example of biological control of mealybug. Along with this parasitoid, another parasitoid, Promuscidea unfasciativentris Girault (Chalcidodea: Aphelinidae), was also recorded at most of the locations in smaller proportions.
粉蚧曾被视为棉花的次要害虫，但在2006 - 2007年期间，它在北部和中部地区成为了主要害虫。2007 - 2009年期间，在北部地区的哈里亚纳邦、拉贾斯坦邦和旁遮普邦以及中部地区的中央邦、马哈拉施特拉邦和古吉拉特邦的棉田进行了广泛的实地调查，结果表明，除了古吉拉特邦的一个地点记录到了弗氏粉蚧外，在北部和中部地区的棉花上记录到的主要粉蚧种类只有扶桑绵粉蚧。在2007年和2008年，北部和中部地区大多数地方的粉蚧侵染程度从轻度（10 - 20%）到重度（40 - 60%）不等，但在2009年减少到了微量。广泛的实地调查表明，本土寄生蜂——班氏桨角蚜小蜂（膜翅目：跳小蜂科）在减少害虫侵染方面发挥了关键作用。这种寄生蜂于2008年7月在德里首次被记录到，并在2009年时在北部和中部地区的大多数棉花种植区都有发现。在许多地方，它对扶桑绵粉蚧的自然寄生率可达90%以上。这是粉蚧生物防治最成功的例子。除了这种寄生蜂外，在大多数地点还记录到了另一种寄生蜂——无纹扁角跳小蜂（膜翅目：蚜小蜂科），但其比例较小。
