English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Pseudococcus comstocki  (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is a mealybug species native to Eastern Asia and present as an invasive pest in northern Italy and southern France since the start of the century. It infests apple and pear trees, grapevines and some ornamental trees. Biocontrol programmes against this pest proved successful in central Asia and North America in the second half of the 20 th  century. In this study, we investigated possible biocontrol agents against  P .  comstocki , with the aim of developing a biocontrol programme in France. We carried out systematic DNA-barcoding at each step in the search for a specialist parasitoid. First we characterised the French target populations of  P .  comstocki . We then identified the parasitoids attacking  P .  comstocki  in France. Finally, we searched for foreign mealybug populations identified  a priori  as  P .  comstocki  and surveyed their hymenopteran parasitoids. Three mealybug species ( P .  comstocki ,  P .  viburni  and  P .  cryptus ) were identified during the survey, together with at least 16 different parasitoid taxa. We selected candidate biological control agent populations for use against  P .  comstocki  in France, from the species  Allotropa burrelli  (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) and  Acerophagus malinus  (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). The coupling of molecular and morphological characterisation for both pests and natural enemies facilitated the programme development and the rejection of unsuitable or generalist parasitoids.

Investigating Biological Control Agents for Controlling Invasive Populations of the Mealybug Pseudococcus comstocki in France