Some Biological Parameters of Paracoccus marginatus Williams and Granara de Willink (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) and Its Natural Enemy Acerophagus papayae Noyes et Schauff (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) | Chapter 1 | Research Aspects in Biological Science Vol. 3

The papaya mealybug is a parasitic insect that feeds on papaya. Paracoccus marginatus Williams and Granara De Willink (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is an invasive bug that attacks a variety of host plants, inflicting significant damage to crops, particularly those of considerable economic value. The natural adversary of this mealybug, Acerophagus papayae Noyes and Schauff, is released in the field to control it biologically (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). The goal of the study is to determine the developmental time and mortality rate of different stages of P. marginatus, as well as the daily fecundity and pre-, oviposition, and post-oviposition times of a female P. marginatus, as well as the total average number of emerging individuals of the hosts parasitized in 24 hours by a female and the total average development time of A. papayae.

The average daily fecundity of a female P. marginatus and the average number of offspring of a female A. papayae were determined in this study, which was done in the laboratory at 28.2°C, 75.5% RH, and 12:12 LD. The findings revealed that a female P. marginatus has three stages of reproductive activity, namely pre-oviposition, oviposition, and post-oviposition, each lasting 7.74 1.26, 6.13 3.02, and 7.45 4.27 days on average. A female P. marginatus lays an average of 25.262 11.16 eggs every day during oviposition and 224.32 29.99 eggs during the course of her lifespan, which is 18.44 3.31 days. Also, during the pre-imaginal phases of the genesis of P. Margatus showed substantial death rates of 61.40 0.05 and 52.8 0.025 in the first and second larval stages, respectively, however in the third stage, the rate is 35.02 0.03 for the female and nil for the male. The female had a total development time of 25.98 4.47 days while the male had a total development time of 29.70 5.58 days. The progeny of its natural nemesis A. papayae, on the other hand, averaged 8.22 4.676 males and 10.53 4.43 females each day, for a total of 18.75 9.087 offspring per day. A female A. papayae generated an average of 205.96 9.87 progeny in an average development time of 13.82 0.013 days during its lifetime (13.02 0.08 days).

Author(s) Details:

Seth Wolali Nyamador,
Ecology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lome, 1 B. P. 1515, Togo.

Yawavi Eyram Gnomou,
Ecology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lome, 1 B. P. 1515, Togo.

Komina Amevoin,
Ecology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lome, 1 B. P. 1515, Togo.

Obinna Ajuonu,
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, IITA-Benin, 08 BP 0932, Cotonou, Benin.

Georg Goergen,
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, IITA-Benin, 08 BP 0932, Cotonou, Benin.

Isabelle Adolé Glitho,
Ecology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lome, 1 B. P. 1515, Togo.

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