scholarly journals Physokermes hemicryphus (Dalman) a fir scale insect useful to apiculture in Greece

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.A. Santas

Physokermes hemicryphus (Dalman) is an important honeydew producing scale insect useful to apiculture. It lives mainly on Abies cephalonica Loud. and to a lesser degree on Abies borisii regis Mattf. These fir trees exist in most fir forests of Greece. It has one generation per year. Overwintering takes place in the second instar nymph. The female overwinters under the bud scales of the forks of the fir host and the male on the needles. Adults appear in spring and crawlers in July. In August the population consists mainly of first instar nymphs. The second instar nymphs start to appear in August and by late October the whole population is at the second nymphal instar, which is the overwintering one. The insect occurs in the fir forests of Greece every year but its population level fluctuates, due to weather conditions and biological factors (parasites, predators). The coexistence on the same host plant of P. hemicryphus with the scale Eulecanium sericeum (Lindiger) and the aphid Milldams abietinus (Koch) prevents the visit of honeybees to fir trees. On the other hand it favours the augmentation of the P. hemicryphus population. Four parasites were found, from which the Encyrtidae Pseudorhopus testaceus (Razz.) and Microterus lunatus (Dalman), are recorded for the first time in Greek fauna.

Zootaxa ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 1045 (1) ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
TAKUMASA KONDO ◽  
MICHAEL L. WILLIAMS

The adult female and first-instar nymph of a new species of soft scale insect, Hemilecanium mangiferae Kondo & Williams sp. nov., are described and illustrated. This species was collected on the trunk and branches of mango, Mangifera indica L., in Nakhon Pathom and Sukhothai Provinces, Thailand. The insect can cause serious damage by depleting the host sap and by producing large amounts of honeydew on which sooty molds grow. Damage was severe on the local mango cultivar, Nam DokMai. Also included are a revised diagnosis of the genus, a revised key to the adult females of the five species currently placed in the genus, and a key to the known firstinstar nymphs.La hembra adulta y la ninfa del primer estadio de una nueva especie de escama blanda, Hemilecanium mangiferae Kondo & Williams sp. nov., se describe e ilustra. Esta especie fue colectada en el tronco y ramas del mango: Mangifera indica L. en las provincias de Nakhon Pathom y Sukhothai, Tailandia. Este insecto puede causar daños severos al mango deprivando el árbol de savia, y produciendo gran cantidad de melado cual induce el crecimiento de fumaginas. El daño fue más severo en un cultivar local conocido como Nam Dokmai. Tambien se incluyen una diagnosis revisada para el género, una clave revisada para las hembras adultas de las cinco especies actualmente incluidas en el género, más una clave para las ninfas del primer estadio conocidas.


Zootaxa ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 2996 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. HODGSON ◽  
I. M. MILLAR ◽  
P. J. GULLAN

The gall-inducing genus Cissococcus Cockerell is revised to include two species. The family placement of Cissococcus has been uncertain, but characters of the first-instar nymph and adult male clearly show that Cissococcus is a soft scale insect (Coccidae) and is therefore the only member of the Coccidae known to induce a complex covering gall. All stages of the type species, C. fulleri Cockerell, are described and illustrated, plus the adult and third-instar female and first-instar nymph of a new, closely-related species, C. braini Hodgson & Millar sp. n. Both species are known only from wild vines in the southeast and C. fulleri also in the northeast of South Africa, but each induces a unique gall and each appears to be restricted to a different species of Rhoicissus (Vitaceae). The galls of each species are described and figured, and gall induction in the Coccidae is briefly discussed.


Zootaxa ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 1946 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHN S. LAPOLLA ◽  
CHRIS BURWELL ◽  
SEÁN G. BRADY ◽  
DOUGLASS R. MILLER

A peculiar new genus of Ortheziidae is described from Queensland, Australia. Acropygorthezia williamsi LaPolla & Miller, n. gen. & sp. was discovered in two localities in the nests of Acropyga myops. Descriptions and illustrations are provided for the adult female, adult male, first-instar nymph, prepupa, and pupa; descriptions only are provided for the secondand third-instar nymphs. Prior to this study, Acropyga ants were known to enter into trophobiotic relationships only with mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae). Therefore, this study represents the first non-mealybug association between a scale insect and Acropyga. The new ortheziid genus has a number of unusual morphological attributes: no definite wax plates; no ovisac; an anal ring lacking setae and pores, located dorsally in the middle of the abdomen; simple, large metasternal and mesosternal apophyses; numerous spines over the body, and various instars that are so similar that they are difficult to separate. These characteristics may represent adaptations to its relationship with ants. A key is provided to the Australian Ortheziidae.


Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1001
Author(s):  
Iosif Papanastasiou ◽  
Nickolas G. Kavallieratos ◽  
Georgios Th. Papadoulis ◽  
Christina Emmanouil ◽  
Nikolaos G. Emmanouel

The scale Physokermes hellenicus (Kozár & Gounari) (Hemiptera: Coccidae) has been recently included in the Greek entomofauna as a beneficial honeydew species. However, there are no adequate data about its geographical distribution and degree of infestation. Therefore, a study was conducted to examine these parameters in fifteen mountains of Greece. Furthermore, the monitoring of P. hellenicus infestation was carried out over a six-year period with regard to natural enemies and honeydew presence at three mountains (i.e., Menalon, Parnis and Tymfristos) that are traditional honeybee foraging areas. An extensive geographical distribution of the scale was negatively correlated with the latitude. Over the period of the study, P. hellenicus infestation exhibited a decreasing trend in the three mountains, which was more obvious at Menalon. The abundance of natural enemies of P. hellenicus, their effectiveness on honeydew excretion and the fecundity of P. hellenicus are discussed. The reduction in the honey produced at the Menalon mountain (a protected designation of origin product) could be attributed to the reduced presence of P. hellenicus in the fir forest. Among the other identified arthropods, Dreyfusia nordmannianae Eckstein (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) is reported for the first time infesting Abies cephalonica (Pinales: Pinaceae) in Greece. Furthermore, this species is reported for the first time as a co-parasite with P. hellenicus on A. cephalonica in Greece. Since D. nordmannianae is a serious pest, additional research is needed to determine its status in Greek fir forest ecosystems.


1963 ◽  
Vol 95 (7) ◽  
pp. 720-724 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. R. Underwood

AbstractPineus pineoides was found for the first time in North America in New Brunswick in 1948, on red spruce, Picea rubens Sarg. It is the first known species of Adelgidae in North America to complete its life cycle on spruce without producing galls or winged forms. The life history is compared with that in Europe. The first-instar nymph and the adult of the summer generation are described and compared with those from Europe.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. J. Stathas ◽  
E. D. Kartsonas ◽  
P. J. Skouras

The scale insect Kermes echinatus Balachowsky (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Kermesidae) was recorded on Quercus ilex in November 2012 in Kalamata and in December of the same year on the same host species in Athens. Quercus ilex is recorded for the first time as the host of this scale. This scale is first recorded in continental Greece. The population of the scale in both areas consisted mainly of first instar nymphs, whereas in Kalamata individuals of the scale in advanced developmental stages were recorded. Preliminary studies indicate that natural enemies are active against K. echinatus. Moultings of larvae and pupae and adults of Chilocorus bipustulatus L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) were found on colonies of the scale. Parasitoid exit holes were recorded on female adults of the scale. Some data on morphology and infestation of the scale on Q. ilex are given.


Caldasia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar Javier Dix Luna ◽  
Jose Mauricio Montes-Rodríguez ◽  
Andy J. Kulikowski ◽  
Demian Takumasa Kondo

The Marques’ soft scale, Alecanochiton marquesi (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) is recorded from Colombia and Costa Rica on Sapotaceae (Manilkara zapota) and on Melastomataceae (Conostegia xalapensis, Miconia trinervia, and M. schlimii), respectively. Other scale insects collected on M. zapota in the present study include Hemiberlesia lataniae, Howardia biclavis (Diaspididae), Coccus viridis, Saissetia coffeae (Coccidae), and Crypticerya abrahami (Monophlebidae). Crypticerya abrahami was found tended by Azteca sp. ants (Formicidae: Dolichoderinae) and is for the first time recorded on M. zapota. The first-instar nymph of A. marquesi is described and illustrated based on specimens from Colombia. The affinities of Alecanochiton with other Coccidae genera are discussed based on characters of the adult female and first-instar nymph.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-97
Author(s):  
G.J. Stathas ◽  
Ch.F. Karipidis

SummaryPhenology and parasitism of the scale insect, Coccus pseudomagnoliarum (Kuwana) (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae), infesting Citrus sinensis (Rutaceae), were studied in Papagou area, in northeastern Athens, from June 2015 to June 2017. Coccus pseudomagnoliarum is a univoltine, viviparous, parthenogenetic species. It overwintered as settled 1st instar nymph on the shoots of the trees. The 2nd instar nymphs appeared between the beginning of April and the end of May, and the mature females were recorded from the beginning of May until the middle of June. The crawlers appeared between the middle of May and the middle of June and the 1st instar nymphs settled on the shoots at the end of May, where they remained during the whole summer period, winter, until the beginning of April next year. Parasitism of the scale was recorded between the beginning of May and the middle of May and reached a maximum rate of 35%. The recorded parasitoid species were Coccophagus shillongensis Hayat and Singh (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), Coccophagus spp. and Metaphycus dispar (Mercet) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae).


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Evdoxia Efstathiadou ◽  
Georgia Ntatsi ◽  
Dimitrios Savvas ◽  
Anastasia P. Tampakaki

AbstractPhaseolus vulgaris (L.), commonly known as bean or common bean, is considered a promiscuous legume host since it forms nodules with diverse rhizobial species and symbiovars. Most of the common bean nodulating rhizobia are mainly affiliated to the genus Rhizobium, though strains belonging to Ensifer, Pararhizobium, Mesorhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, and Burkholderia have also been reported. This is the first report on the characterization of bean-nodulating rhizobia at the species and symbiovar level in Greece. The goals of this research were to isolate and characterize rhizobia nodulating local common bean genotypes grown in five different edaphoclimatic regions of Greece with no rhizobial inoculation history. The genetic diversity of the rhizobial isolates was assessed by BOX-PCR and the phylogenetic affiliation was assessed by multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) of housekeeping and symbiosis-related genes. A total of fifty fast-growing rhizobial strains were isolated and representative isolates with distinct BOX-PCR fingerpriniting patterns were subjected to phylogenetic analysis. The strains were closely related to R. anhuiense, R. azibense, R. hidalgonense, R. sophoriradicis, and to a putative new genospecies which is provisionally named as Rhizobium sp. I. Most strains belonged to symbiovar phaseoli carrying the α-, γ-a and γ-b alleles of nodC gene, while some of them belonged to symbiovar gallicum. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that strains assigned to R. sophoriradicis and harbored the γ-b allele were found in European soils. All strains were able to re-nodulate their original host, indicating that they are true microsymbionts of common bean.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Slobodan Nickovic ◽  
Bojan Cvetkovic ◽  
Slavko Petković ◽  
Vassilis Amiridis ◽  
Goran Pejanović ◽  
...  

AbstractIce particles in high-altitude cold clouds can obstruct aircraft functioning. Over the last 20 years, there have been more than 150 recorded cases with engine power-loss and damage caused by tiny cloud ice crystals, which are difficult to detect with aircraft radars. Herein, we examine two aircraft accidents for which icing linked to convective weather conditions has been officially reported as the most likely reason for catastrophic consequences. We analyze whether desert mineral dust, known to be very efficient ice nuclei and present along both aircraft routes, could further augment the icing process. Using numerical simulations performed by a coupled atmosphere-dust model with an included parameterization for ice nucleation triggered by dust aerosols, we show that the predicted ice particle number sharply increases at approximate locations and times of accidents where desert dust was brought by convective circulation to the upper troposphere. We propose a new icing parameter which, unlike existing icing indices, for the first time includes in its calculation the predicted dust concentration. This study opens up the opportunity to use integrated atmospheric-dust forecasts as warnings for ice formation enhanced by mineral dust presence.


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