The Scale Insect Dynaspidiotus Abieticola (Koroneos) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) on the Taygetus Mountain in Greece

Hellenic Plant Protection Journal 8: 63-65, 2015 DOI 10.1515/hppj-2015-0009

SHORT COMMUNICATION

The scale insect Dynaspidiotus abieticola (Koroneos) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) on the Taygetus mountain in Greece

G.J. Stathas

Summary In this study, the presence of the scale insect Dynaspidiotus abieticola (Koroneos) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) has been recorded in fi r trees, Abies cephalonica Loudon (Pinaceae), on the Taygetus mountain (Peloponnese, South Greece). The biology of the scale insect was observed during a twelve month period, from February 2013 to January 2014. It was determined that the insect completed one generation. It overwintered as a reproductive adult female. The fi rst ovipositions and hatching of crawlers were observed in early May, 2nd instar nymphs appeared at the beginning of August, male nymphs were seen in September and fi nally the fi rst adult females at the beginning of October.

The species of the genus Dynaspidiotus Thi- Balachowsky, 1948). em & Gerneck (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), In February 2013, a population of D. abi- which have been recorded in Greece to- eticola was observed in fi r trees, Abies ce- date, are namely D. abieticola (Koroneos) phalonica, on the Taygetus mountain (Pelo- (Koroneos, 1934), D. abietis (Schrank) (Ko- ponnese, Southern Greece), specifi cally in roneos, 1934; Stathas, 2007), D. britannicus a forest area of North Taygetus (37º18΄Ν, (Newstead) (Koroneos, 1934; Pellizzari et al., 22º20΄Ε) at an altitude of 760m. The species 2011), D. ephedrarum (Lindinger) (Koroneos, (adult females) was identifi ed by Dr Ferenc 1934) and D. greeni (Balachowsky) (Kozár et Kozár (Plant Protection Institute, Hungari- al., 1991). an Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hunga- The presence of D. abieticola was fi rst ry). The slides of these specimens are depos- recorded as Aspidiotus abieticola in Greece ited in the scale collection of the Hungarian by Koroneos (1934) on Abies cephalonica, in Academy of Sciences. the Ano Lekhonia area and in the surround- To obtain data on the scale insect life ing region of mount Pelion (Thessaly). Since cycle, samples of fi r tree branches infested then, no further records concerning the by the scale insect were regularly collect- presence of D. abieticola in Greece, data on ed from February 2013 to January 2014 and its biology or ecology, have been reported. the branches were examined under a ste- According to ScaleNet (Ben-Dov et al., reoscope. According to the observations, 2015), D. abieticola is a Paleartctic species. It D. abieticola is an oviparous, bisexual scale has been recorded in Greece, Iran, Lebanon insect, which develops one generation per and Turkey on Abies cephalonica and Cedrus year. The scale insect settles on the adaxial libanotica subsp. libani (A. Rich.) Holmboe needle surface (Figure 1). It overwinters as (Ben-Dov et al., 2015). Information concern- mated adult female from the beginning of ing D. abieticola is very scarce and mainly re- October to the end of April. Egg-laying and fers to the morphological characters of the hatching of crawlers occur from early May to adult female scale insect (Koroneos, 1934; the end of June. Settled fi rst instar nymphs are present from early June until early Sep- tember. Second instar nymphs occur from Technological Educational Institute of Peloponnese, the fi rst days of August until late September, Department of Agricultural Technology, Antikalamos, GR-241 00 Kalamata, Messinia, Greece the male nymphs in September and the fi rst e-mail: [email protected] adult females at the beginning of October.

Figure 1. Dynaspidiotus abieticola on Abies cephalonica: scale covers of male (a) and female (b) nymphs (Photo by G.J. Stathas).

Chlorosis on the needles on infested fi r needles get dry and fall and fi r trees become trees by D. abieticola was recorded on Tay- weak. getus (Figure 1). On heavily infested fi r trees,

Literature cited

Balachowsky, A. S. 1948. Les cochenilles de France, Stathas, G.J. 2007. The scale insect Dynaspidiotus d’ Europe, du nord de l’ Afrique et du bassin abietis (Schrank) on Abies cephalonica (Pinace- Méditerranéen. IV. Monographie des Coccoidea, ae). Entomologia Hellenica, 17: 28-33. classifi cation -Diaspidinae (Première partie). En- tomologie Appliquée Actualités Scientifi ques et In- Pellizzari, G., Porcelli, F., Seljak, G. and Kozár, F. 2011. dustrielles, 1054: 243–394. Some additions to the Scale insect fauna (Hemi- ptera: Coccoidea) of Crete with a check list of Ben-Dov, Y., Miller, D.R. and Gibson, G.A.P. 2015. the species known from the island. Journal of ScaleNet: a database of the scale insects of the Entomological and Acarological Research (for- World. Available in: http://www.sel.barc.usda. merly: Bollettino di Zoologia agraria e di Bachicol- gov/scalenet/query.htm (accessed 20 February tura), Ser. II. 43 (3): 291-300. 2015). Kozár, F. Paloukis, S. and Papadopoulos, N. 1991. New scale insects (Homoptera: Coccoidea) in the Greek entomofauna. Entomologia Helleni- ca, 9: 63-68. Koroneos, J. 1934. Les Coccidae de la Grèce sur tout du Pélion (Thessalie). I: Diaspinae. Athens. 95p. Received: 22 April 2015; Accepted: 8 June 2015

Το κοκκοειδές έντομο Dynaspidiotus abieticola (Koroneos) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) στο όρος Ταΰγετος στην Ελλάδα

Γ.Ι. Σταθάς

Περίληψη Καταγράφεται η παρουσία του κοκκοειδούς εντόμου Dynaspidiotus abieticola (Koroneos) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) σε έλατα Abies cephalonica στο Όρος Ταΰγετος (Πελοπόννησος, Νότιος Ελλά- δα). Κατά το διάστημα Φεβρουαρίου 2013 – Ιανουαρίου 2014 το κοκκοειδές συμπλήρωσε μία γενεά. Δι- αχείμασε στο στάδιο του ενήλικου θήλεος ακμαίου προ-ωοτοκίας. Οι πρώτες ωοτοκίες και ακολούθως οι εκκολάψεις ερπουσών παρατηρήθηκαν κατά τις αρχές Μαΐου, οι νύμφες 2ης ηλικίας αρχές Αυγού- στου, οι νύμφες των αρρένων κατά το μήνα Σεπτέμβριο και τα ενήλικα θήλεα αρχές Οκτωβρίου.

Hellenic Plant Protection Journal 8: 63-65, 2015