Geographic Location, Population Dynamics, and Fruit Damage of an Invasive Citrus Mealybug: The Case of Delottococcus aberiae De Lotto in Eastern Spain.

ABSTRACT: The invasive mealybug Delottococcus aberiae De Lotto (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) has rapidly spread in the Mediterranean basin since its detection in 2009 in the Valencia Community in eastern Spain. The use of sticky traps baited with its sex pheromone, (4,5,5-trimethyl-3-methylenecyclopent-1-en-1-yl)methyl acetate, has allowed to determine the geographical distribution of D. aberiae by means of the surveillance network described in the present work. The population monitoring of the pest over a five-year period (2019-2023) has revealed an increase from 31% to 70% of the affected citrus-growing area. The monitoring network has also allowed a better understanding of the pests' biological cycle throughout the year. The populations start growing from March to June and reach their

SUBMITTER: Gavara A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11432470 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature