Natural Enemies of Pink Wax Scale, Ceroplastes rubens Maskell (Hemiptera: Coccidae), on Umbrella Trees in Southeastern Queensland

The natural enemy complex of pink wax scale, Ceroplastes rubens , on umbrella trees, Schefflera actinophylla , in southeastern Queensland was investigated. an introduced encyrtid, Anicetus beneficus , was the major primary parasitoid, although high rates of hyperparasitisation by the native encyrtid Coccidoctonus dubius were recorded. Predators and other parasitoids were minor components of the natural enemy complex of C. rubens. Implications of this study's findings on the biological control of C. rubens in citrus by A. beneficus are discussed.