Parasitoids of Pseudococcus comstocki in Italy. Clausenia purpurea and Chrysoplatycerus splendens: first records from Europe.

Abstract

The occurrence of Clausenia purpurea Ishii and Chrysoplatycerus splendens (Howard) (Hymenoptera Encyrtidae) in Europe (Italy) is here reported for the first time. These species were reared from females of the Comstock mealybug, Pseudococcus comstocki (Kuwana) (Hemiptera Pseudococcidae), a species accidentally introduced into Italy. The complex of P. comstocki antagonists in Italy includes two other encyrtid species, already reported from Italy, namely Acerophagus maculipennis (Mercet) and Anagyrus sp. near pseudococci (Girault).