Selma Ülgentürk

Feeding behavior ofCryptolaemus montrouzieri on mealybugs parasitized byAnagyrus pseudococci

The citrus mealybugPlanococcus citri (Risso) and the vine mealybugPlanococcus ficus (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) are two worldwide polyphagous pests of citrus, vineyards and ornamental plants in greenhouses. Biological control of these pests may rely on the combined release of parasites and predators, which can be affected by intraguild predation (IGP). This study investigated the feeding behavior of different stages ofCryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) on mealybugs parasitized byAnagyrus pseudococci (Girault) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 days. The study was conducted in a climate-controlled room at 28±1° C, 16L:8D, and 65±10% r.h. The highest consumption values for all stages ofC. montrouzieri occurred with 2- and 4-day parasitized mealybugs, whereas the predator did not feed on either species of mealybug parasitized for longer periods, due to the onset of mummification.

Scale insects of the conifer trees in Turkey and their zoogeographical distribution

In Turkey, 25 species of Coccoidea (Homoptera) are recorded on Conifera tree species. The family Diaspididae has 15, Coccidae 6, Pseudococcidae 3, and Margarodidae 1 species. Specifically, Dynaspidiotus spp. are recorded on Abies, Cedrus, Picea, and Pinus; Leucaspis spp. on Pinus spp.; Carulaspis spp. on Biota, Cupressus, Juniperus, and Thuja; Lepidosaphes spp. on Abies, Biota, Juniperus, and Picea; Coccus spp. on Abies, Cedrus, and Pinus; and Planococcus spp. on Cupressus, Juniperus, and Pinus species. Acanthomytilus cedricola is recorded only on Cedrus spp.; Physokermes piceae on Abies and Picea species; and Marchalina hellenica only on Pinus species. Two species are Native, five are Cosmopolitan, 15 are Palaearctic, and 3 are of Mediterranean origin.

Predators of Marchalina hellenica (Hemiptera: Marchalinidae) on pine forests in Turkey

The honeydew of Marchalina hellenica is collected by honeybees for pine honey production, which is of great economic importance in Turkey. During 2009–2011 we investigated the predators of M. hellenica, which is distributed mainly in the areas with a Mediterranean climate – in the Aegean, Marmara and Mediterranean regions of Turkey. The findings showed that M. hellenica has many predators in the studied areas and that these play an important role in the forest ecosystem. These predators are: Anystis baccarum (L.) (Acarina: Anystidae); Allothrombium triticium Zhang and Allothrombium pulvinum Ewing (Acarina: Trombidiidae); Neoleucopis kartliana (Tanasijtshuk) (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae); Myrrha octodecimguttata (L.), Rodolia cardinalis Mulstant, Scymnus subvillosus (Goeze) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), Dichochrysa genei (Rambur), Dichochrysa prasina (Burmeister) and Chrysoperla lucasina (Lacroix) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae); Wesmaelius subnebulosus (Stephens) (Neuroptera: Hemerobiidae), Cardiastethus nazarenus Reuter and Elatophilus pachycnemis Horváth (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae). The most efficient and common predator was N. kartliana, here recorded for the first time from Turkey.

A survey of the Eriococcidae (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) of Ankara Province, Turkey.

The Coccoidea of cultivated and non-cultivated areas of Ankara Province, in central Anatolia, Turkey, were surveyed between 1999 and 2001. Eleven species of Eriococcidae were collected, of which nine are new records for Turkey:Acanthococcus greeni Newstead,A. micracanthus Danzig,A. munroi Boratynski,A. roboris (Goux),A. zernae Tereznikova,Rhizococcus cingulatus (Kiritchenko),R. cynodontis (Kiritchenko),R. herbaceus Danzig andR. pseudinsignis (Green).

Laboratory assay of the effectiveness of the entomopathogenic fungus Isaria farinosa (Holmsk.) Fries (Sordariomycetes: Hypocreales) against the vine mealybug Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), even under the use of fungicides

The vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is one of the main pests in vineyards. At present biological control of the pest is based on the release of hymenopterous parasitoids and coccinellid predators. The effectiveness of an entomopathogenic fungus, Isaria farinosa, as an alternative biological control agent on vine mealybug P. ficus was investigated by using different inoculum densities and different relative humidity levels. The fungus caused more than 80% mortality at 95% relative humidity and at 1 × 108 conidia ml−1 inoculum density. The mortality effects of the fungus decreased in lower humidity levels and lower spore densities. The inhibitory effects of common fungicides, used in vineyards, on I. farinosa were also investigated. Sulphur, copper oxychloride, fosetyl-Al and chlorothalonil did not decrease the effectiveness of I. farinosa as a pathogen of vine mealybug. With the application of tebuconazole, penconazole and mancozeb, the most inhibitory fungicides on the entomopathogen, the mortality rates of mealybugs, inoculated with I. farinosa, decreased from 86% to 42%, 34% and 45%, respectively, in the adult females; from 94% to 51%, 45% and 45%, respectively, in the first nymphal stages; and from 86% to 56%, 49% and 63%, respectively, in ovisacs.

Biology, natural enemies and the distribution of Physokermes hellenicus Kozàr & Gounari (Hemiptera: Coccidae) in Turkey

Physokermes hellenicus Kozar & Gounari (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) is a new record for Turkish scale insect fauna. Studies on its biological cycle and natural enemies were made on Abies nordmanniana (Steven) (Pinaceae) in Ankara during 2014-2015. It was found that P. hellenicus hibernate as the third instar and has one generation in Ankara. The following natural enemies were found associated with P. hellenicus: Anthribus nebulosus Forster (Coleoptera: Antribidae), Chilocorus renipustulatus (Scriba) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), Atroctotomus spp. (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) and the parasitoid Aphycoides clavellatus (Dalman) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae). Among the natural enemies, A. clavellatus was the main cause of mortality of P. hellenicus populations in Ankara. The scale insect was determined on Abies cilicica (Antoine & Kotschy) Carriere in Kahramanmaras, Konya and on A. nordmanniana in Bolu, Eskisehir and Ankara, Turkey.

Biological observations on Matsucoccus josephi (Hemiptera: Matsucoccidae) in Turkey

Observations on the biology of Matsucoccus josephi Bodenheimer & Harpaz (Hemiptera: Matsucoccidae) were made at four natural red pine (Pinus brutia Tenore, Pinaceae) forestry of Antalya (1), Aydin (1) and Mugla (2) in the years 2009-2010. Samples branches of red pine were collected twice during March - November, once in winter months. In addition pheromone traps were used to monitor male scale insect and predators. All stages of M. josephi were counted. Some individuals were preserved into 70 % ethyl alcohol for the identification of life-stages. Nymphs and adults predator that feed on M. josephi, were reared into jars with their host. As results, M. josephi is overwintered second stage (cyst) under the bark of pine trees and has 4 generations (at least). Elatophilus hebraicus Pericart (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) was common and effective predator in Turkey.

Faunistic studies on Aleyrodidae species of Bartın and Kastamonu provinces

The aim of this study was to determine Aleyrodidae fauna in Bartin and Kastamonu provinces. In total six whiteflies species were recorded in this study, three of them namely Aleutrachelus rhamnicola (Priesner & Hosny), Siphoninus immaculatus (Heeger) ve Trialeurodes abutiloneus (Haldeman) were new records for the Turkish fauna. Information about their identification, host plants, and distribution in Turkey and in the world were presented as detailed.

İstilacı tür Phenacoccus madeirensis Green (Hemiptera: Coccoidea, Pseudococcidae)’in Türkiye’de ilk kaydı

Recently, several species of economically important mealybugs have been introduced into countries in the Mediterranean Region of the Palaearctic. One of the most important is the invasive pest species, Phenacoccus madeirensis Green, which is recorded here for the first time in Turkey and redescribed from Turkish material.

A scanning electron microscope study of the multilocular disc-pores of some adult female soft scale insects (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccidae)

The morphology of the multilocular disc-pores of nine species of Coccidae (Anapulvinaria pistaciae, Coccus hesperidum, C. pseudomagnoliarum, Eulecanium ciliatum, E. tiliae, Filippia follicularis, Parthenolecanium corni, P. rufulum andRhodococcus perornatus) were examined using a scanning electron microscope. The spiracular disc-pores of seven of these species had five loculi in an outer ring around a central, closed loculus, but the central loculus ofE. tiliae andF. follicularis was open. The preanal disc-pores had 6–12 (usually 10) loculi in the outer ring but the structure of the central loculus varied among species, with that ofA. pistaciae andF. follicularis being mushroom-shaped; ofC. hesperidum, C. pseudomagnoliarum, P. corni andP. rufulum being peg- or tongue-shaped; and ofE. ciliatum, E. tiliae andR. perornatus having a vertical slit.