A report on the wax scales, Ceroplastes pseudoceriferus Green and Chloropulvinaria polygonata (Ckll.) (Homoptera: Coccidae) on mango and their natural enemies.
Ali M.
Author Affiliation: Department of Zoology, Rajshahi University, Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Journal of Zoology 6 : 69-70
Abstract : Ceroplastes pseudoceriferus Green and Chloropulvinaria polygonata (Ckll.) are recorded for the first time from mango. They were found on mango trees in several localities of Bangladesh from late winter onwards, with population increases in early spring. Ceroplastes was the more economically injurious pest, since it infested young shoots in early spring, the lower surface of older leaves, and sometimes the base of the developing inflorescence, resulting in drying and wilting of leaves and flowers; twigs severely infested before flowering failed to produce flowers, while partially infested twigs produced malformed flowers and no fruit. Chloropulvinaria caused little economic damage since it infested only older branches. Natural enemies recorded on both scales are listed; these included the encyrtid parasite Metaphycus helvolus (Comp.), the aphelinid parasites Aneristus ceroplastae How. and 2 new species of Coccophagus, and the lycaenid predator Spalgis epius (Westw.).