Natural Enemies Associated with<i>Maconellicoccus hirsutus</i>(Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in the State of São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

The pink hibiscus mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), occurs widely in Brazil, causing damage to some crops. However, information on beneficial insects acting to control populations of this pest in Brazil is practically non-existent. A survey was conducted in the state of So Paulo. The insect associates of M. hirsutus recorded on Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. (Malvales: Malvaceae) were the parasitoid Gyranusoidea indica Shafee, Alam & Agarwal (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) and the predators Cycloneda sanguinea (L.), Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant, Chilocorus nigrita (F.), Exoplectra sp., Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), Tenuisvalvae notata (Mulsant) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), and Ceraeochrysa sp. (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae). Cryptolaemus montrouzieri was the most commonly collected species on populations of M. hirsutus infesting plants of H. rosa-sinensis. Chilocorus nigrita, Exoplectra sp., H. axyridis, T. notata, and Ceraeochrysa sp. were associated for the first time with M. hirsutus,