Influence of mating disruption method aginst Planococcus kraunhiae on the parasitism by its parasitoid wasp Anagyrus fujikona.

Abstract

Anagyrus fujikona Tachikawa is a major parasitoid of the Japanese mealybug Planococcus kraunhiae (Kuwana), a pest of the Japanese persimmon, and uses the hostsʼ sex pheromone as a kairomonal cue for foraging behavior. Thus, mating disruption against the host using its synthetic pheromone may potentially affect the waspʼs behavior. Here, however, we did not find significant decrease of the A. fujikona parasitism in plots with the mating disruption treatment against P. kraunhiae in a persimmon orchard, suggesting that there is no evidence of adverse influence of the mating disruption on the activity level of the indigenous natural enemy.