Burgio Giovanni, Magagnoli Serena, Casoli Luca, Profeta Marco, Grasso Donato Antonio, Schifani Enrico, Giannetti Daniele, Parrilli Martina
Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy.
Consorzio Fitosanitario Provinciale di Reggio Emilia, 42124 Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Insects. 2025 Apr 29;16(5):468. doi: 10.3390/insects16050468.
Vineyard mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) are economic pests in vineyards, demanding integrated control strategies. Several ant species can facilitate mealybug infestation by protecting them from natural enemies in a mutualistic relationship known as trophobiosis. In the frame of an ant management system, the provision of sugary liquid has proved worldwide to improve mealybug control. In the present study, a field trial was carried out within an important vineyard cultivation area of northern Italy with the aim of testing a lower density (80/ha) of sugar dispenser to facilitate the practicality of this method. The sugar dispensers tested, along with predators and parasitoid release, were effective in reducing mealybug infestations by 22% and resulted in a double increase in larval density of the predator Mulsant. Mealybug parasitism was in general high, but it was not improved by sugar dispensers at this density. Our field validation confirms the importance of ants in mealybug infestation dynamics, and the benefits of ant management in the context of integrated strategies against mealybugs.
葡萄园粉蚧（半翅目：粉蚧科）是葡萄园中的经济害虫，需要综合防治策略。几种蚂蚁物种可以通过保护粉蚧免受天敌侵害来促进粉蚧滋生，这种互利共生关系被称为营养共生。在蚂蚁管理系统框架内，提供含糖液体已在全球范围内被证明可以改善粉蚧防治效果。在本研究中，在意大利北部一个重要的葡萄园种植区进行了田间试验，目的是测试较低密度（80个/公顷）的糖分配器，以提高这种方法实际应用的可行性。所测试的糖分配器，连同捕食者和寄生蜂的释放，有效地将粉蚧滋生减少了22%，并使捕食者穆尔桑特幼虫密度增加了一倍。粉蚧寄生率总体较高，但在此密度下糖分配器并未提高寄生率。我们的田间验证证实了蚂蚁在粉蚧滋生动态中的重要性，以及在针对粉蚧的综合策略背景下进行蚂蚁管理的益处。
