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Dataset of above and belowground population of the Invasive Citrus mealybug Delottococcus aberiae De Lotto
No full textField sampling data and soil sampling methodology photos[EN] Dataset asociated to the paper "Above and belowground male population of the Invasive Cit-rus mealybug Delottococcus aberiae De Lotto (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) " The invasive Delottococcus aberiae is one of the most harmful mealybugs on citrus in Spain, since it causes deformations and the premature falling of fruits. To improve control strategies, this study evaluates its population above and belowground, distri-bution in the soil and identify natural enemies emerging from belowground of citrus orchards. The distribution in the soil of emerged males varies significantly with the distance to the tree trunks with an annual average number of 0.95 males/trap/day at 0.5 m, and ranging between 0.25-0.32 at 1 m, 1.5 m and 2 m. There is a constant emergence of males throughout the year, both aboveground and belowground, with four distinct peaks, the first two occurring in February and April. This observation is essential to manage fruit damages that follows between March and June. Among the natural en-emies detected belowground the following are highlighted: Bdellidae mites (52%), Hymenoptera parasitoids (16%) and spiders (11%). When implementing IPM strate-gies, emphasis should be placed on adequate soil management (crops, mulching, or the release of natural enemies) and to the appearance of first generation. We propose a belowground population sampling method as a simple and practical tool to quantify this pest’s the winter and spring populations, which remain undetectable using current methodologies.This research was funded by the Next Generation European Union and the Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia of the Spanish Government, with the support of Generalitat Valenciana (project AGROALNEXT/2022/043), and by the project “Ruralfruit-AgroEco” (Transición al modelo agroecológico y adaptación al cambio climático de la citricultura convencional en Cooperativas valencianas” (project AGCOOP_A/2022/015), subsidized by the PDR-CV 2014-2020 (53% UE, 8,86% MAPA, 38,14% GVA)Vercher Aznar, Rosa;Sanchez Domingo, Adrian;Escriche Roberto, Mª Isabel (2025). Research about Above and belowground population of Delottococcus aberiae De Lotto (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) [Dataset]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Dataset/10251/22132
Aboveground and Belowground Male Population of the Invasive Citrus Mealybug Delottococcus aberiae De Lotto (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)
Get PDF[EN] The invasive Delottococcus aberiae is one of the most harmful mealybugs on citrus in Spain, since it causes deformations and the premature falling of fruits in citrus orchards. To improve control strategies, this study evaluates its population above- and belowground, their distribution in the soil in addition to identifying natural enemies. The distribution in the soil of emerged males varies significantly with the distance to the tree trunks with an annual average number of 0.95 males/trap/day at 0.5 m, and ranging between 0.25 and 0.32 at 1 m, 1.5 m and 2 m. There is a consistent emergence of males throughout the year, both above- and belowground, with four distinct peaks, the first two occurring in February and April. This observation is essential to manage fruit damages that follows between March and June. Among the natural enemies detected belowground the following are highlighted: Bdellidae mites (52%), Hymenoptera parasitoids (16%) and spiders (11%). When implementing IPM strategies, emphasis should be placed on adequate soil management (crops, mulching, or the release of natural enemies) and to the appearance of first generation. We propose a belowground population sampling method as a simple and practical tool to quantify this pest's the winter and spring populations, which remain undetectable using current methodologies.This research was funded by the Next Generation European Union and the Plan de Recuperacion, Transformacion y Resiliencia of the Spanish Government, with the support of Generalitat Valenciana (project AGROALNEXT/2022/043); and by the project "Ruralfruit-AgroEco" (AGCOOP_A/2022/015) subsidized by the PDR-CV 2014-2020.Vercher Aznar, Rosa;Sanchez Domingo, Adrian;Escriche Roberto, Mª Isabel (2025). Aboveground and Belowground Male Population of the Invasive Citrus Mealybug Delottococcus aberiae De Lotto (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae). Insects. 16(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16070651S16
Enhancing plants and potential pollinator diversity: A case study of Mediterranean fruit orchards in agroecological transition
No full text[EN] Chemical-intensive agriculture greatly impacts on environmental sustainability and global insect biodiversity. Hence, it is essential to find ecological alternatives that preserve both non-crop plants and beneficial insects in agroecosystems. This research evaluates the effects of the abundance and diversity in flora and flower visitors of four ecological infrastructures in eastern Spain (field margins, sown ground cover, spontaneous ground cover, flowerbeds); and one control (herbicide-treated) in fruit orchards under agroecological transition. Flowerbeds exhibited the highest average ground cover (57.4 %) and flowering (59.5 %) whereas sown and spontaneous ground covers showed the highest average number of flowering plants (around 8 species/sampling), followed by field margins (3.6). Only a few plants were detected in the herbicide-treated orchard. Spring had a higher average flowering percentage (24.5 %), while winter (16.4 %) was comparable to autumn (17.6 %) and summer (15.9 %). A total of 59 flowering species were visited by potential pollinators, with Scabiosa atropurpurea being the most popular in the summer and Diplotaxis erucoides attracting the most honeybees. In total, 1775 individual insects belonging to 52 different species (or genera) were counted. Honeybees and Pieris butterflies were the most prevalent species. The ecological infrastructures made up 98 % of the counted insects, of which 63 % were found in the ground covers (sown and spontaneous), 23 % in flowerbeds, and 15 % in field margins. The best strategy, therefore, is combining spontaneous ground covers with specific flowerbeds (perennials) and preserve field margins to conserve the native plants. Thus, installing or preserving ecological infrastructures is key in the agroecological transition for biodiversity conservation.This work is part of the project AGROALNEXT/2022/043, funded by the Next Generation European Union and the Plan de Recuperacion, Transformacion y Resiliencia of the Spanish Government, with the support of Generalitat Valenciana. The authors also thank the project "Ruralfruit-AgroEco" subsidized by the PDR-CV 2014-2020.SORRIBAS MELLADO, JUAN JOSÉ;Escriche Roberto, Mª Isabel;Vercher Aznar, Rosa (2025). Enhancing plants and potential pollinator diversity: A case study of Mediterranean fruit orchards in agroecological transition. Environmental and Sustainability Indicators. 28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2025.100924S2
Functional biodiversity: Mediterranean plants to improve natural enemies in organic citrus (BIOFRUITNET Practice Abstract)
No full textPlant biodiversity favors natural enemies (such as syrphids, cocci-nellids, bugs, lacewings and parasitoids) and improves the management of pests including aphids, thrips, spider mites, mealybugs, etc...
Practical recommendation
• Hedgerows (Picture 1): Introduce perimeter hedges with a combination of at least 5 different species of Mediterranean trees and shrubs such as: laurel, cornicabra, strawberry tree, mastic tree, hawthorn and aladierno. Structure the hedge in layers (herbaceous, shrub, tree), with species such as durillo, rosemary and thyme as herbaceous. Water the first two years, but from the third year on, it is no longer necessary. The productivity of the first row of citrus trees adjacent to the hedge may decrease.
• Cover crops (Picture 2) can be sown or spontaneous. The Mediterranean area has a great diversity of spontaneous species that ensure flowering practically all year round. If sown, we recommend a combina-tion of grasses (drought resistant) and legumes, which also provide nitrogen to the soil (see PA 94). Ground covers increase the diversity and abundance of natural enemies and improve the management of pests such as aphids and mites.
• Flower strips (Picture 3): sow a combination of species that bloom for several months with attractive flow-ers that provide shelter and food to natural enemies. Lobularia, marigold, chamomile, and Mediterranean species such as rosemary, thyme and sage attract syrphids, predatory bugs and parasitoids
Control methods in organic citrus against the new invasive Mealybug Delottococcus aberiae (BIOFRUITNET Practice Abstract)
No full textThe effective combination of several control measures can help reduce the population year after year.
Practical recommendation
• Precautionary measures: Winter pruning to aerate the tree helps to reduce pest levels.
• Attract-and-kill system with sexual pheromone is a new method, and we recommend combining it with other measures until the D. aberiare population decreases. The dose is 450 devices/ha. Commercial pheromones have a shelf life of 13 months (Picture 3). Pheromones are also recommended to monitor the presence of the pest with traps set up in the orchard.
• Release of the predator Cryptolaemus montrouzieri: (Picture 2)
• There are no effective plant protection products to control this pest. Azadirachtin and paraffinic oils are used, mainly from April to June, but their efficacy is medium to low and insufficient to control this pest.
• Ants protect this mealybug from its natural enemies and help its dispersal. The use of physical barriers on the trunk, such as tree gum, is recommended to interfere with their access to the canopy (Picture 4)
Cover crops for pest control in Mediterranean citrus orchards (BIOFRUITNET Practice Abstract)
No full textCover crops benefit both natural enemies and soil composition, while supporting pest control. They offer shelter and food to natural enemies (predators, parasitoids and phytoseiids) and improve soil resilience to extreme weather events, such as heavy rains and organic matter.
Practical recommendation
• Vegetation covers can be spontaneous or sown (cover crops). Even if sown, they will tend to become natural cover over the years (Picture 1c). The Mediterranean shrub flora is varied and can be in flower most of the year.
• Cover crops can be:
o Mixed grasses (Picture 1a) which are drought resistant, conserve soil and increase organic matter (e.g., Festuca, Lolium, Bromus…)
o Leguminous mixtures (Picture 1b) which fix nitrogen and increase soil fertility. Widely used in organic farming (Trifolium sp., Alfalfa...).
o Mix legumes and grasses to combine the benefits of both above.
o Mix of flowers (Picture 1d) using local plant species that flower most of the year.
• Sow coverer crops in spring or autumn. Sowing rate of 25-50 kg/ha. Temper or water the soil after sowing; otherwise, the ants will carry away the seeds. Sometimes it is necessary to reseed the following season.
• Maintenance (or tillage): Mow about 2-4 times a year (depending on rainfall intensity). With a mower (Picture 2) or a mulcher (at a maximum height of one inch)
Breeding natural enemies – successful farmers´ experiences (BIOFRUITNET Practice Abstract)
No full textThe combination of several measures with those enhancing the predator can effectively reduce the population year after year.
Practical recommendation: 1)Farmers requested to participate as “collaborating insectaries” while the public administration provided the insects and advice. 2) A breeding cycle has a total duration of 3-4 months. Farmers can breed 1 to 4 cycles per year. The process consists of the following: a) Germinating potatoes on the substrate (sand or peat) in the dark, at 22°C, with air renewal and regular watering for one month (Picture 1). b) The pest (Planococcus citri) is provided to them on fake pepper leaves, and they are released into the brood, which is then kept at 26°C for one month (Picture 2). 3) The adults of the predator are introduced (35 days). The predator is collected for three weeks. They are attracted to the point of light, and with food (a mixture of water, agar, honey and sugar), and collected manually (Picture 3). 3) They are released in the plots at inoculative doses (2,000 adults/ha). Release time: for Planococus citri (June), for Delottococcus aberiae (June to September), for Pulvinaria polygonata (May to October). They are also released in other crops, such as persimmon and pomegranate (from June to September)
Biological control against the new invasive Mealy-bug Delottococcus aberiae (BIOFRUITNET Practice Abstract)
No full textCombining several measures with those enhancing natural predators can effectively reduce the population year after year.
Practical recommendation
• The pest is present all year round, but the most critical time to control is from the fruit set until it reaches two centimetres (April to June), when the fruit is no longer susceptible to deformation.
• D. aberiae adult females lay eggs on the ground and on trunks in spring, after which the newly emerged nymphs return to the tree canopy. Males and females of a soil-dwelling mite, Gaeolaelaps (Hypoaspis) aculeifer (Picture 2), prey on the first instar nymphs of D. aberiae mealybugs. Therefore, enhance the presence of this soil predatory mite by adding compost or mulching. The presence of ground cover can also enhance the presence of these predatory mites.
• Release Cryptolaemus montrouzieri on the citrus canopy of the predator (Picture 1) from March onwards and at the larval stage (dose of 3/10 per tree, representing 1200-4000 adults/ha), to reduce pest levels at the time of maximum fruit sensitivity. Releasing adults in summer (Picture 3) at a dose of 3/10 per tree reduces the wintering population and, therefore, the levels of the following year.
• On-farm rearing of C. montrouzieri is carried out on potato sprouts filled with Planococcus citri
Control methods against the whitefly Dialeurodes citri in organic citrus (BIOFRUITNET Practice Abstract)
No full textBy reducing the first generation, the damage (i.e., sap consumption, honeydew and, consequently, sooty mould fungus) is strongly reduced.
Practical recommendation
• The main damage caused by D. citri is due to black fungus sooty mould, which colonises the sweet secretions of this pest. The black fungus may cover the leaves and fruit. Heavily-infested trees become weak and produce small crops of insipid fruit.
• In the Mediterranean area, D. citri has three generations per year. Apply plant protection products on the first generation. If the first generation is not controlled, the damage and the followings generations cannot be well controlled. Sensitive stages are L1 and L2. L3 and L4 are very resistant to plant protection products.
• Plan protection products to control this pest are paraffinic oils and citrus oil. The moment to use plan protection products is usually 2 weeks after adult population peak (mainly end of May or beginning of June)
Natural enemies of the South American moth, Tuta absoluta, in Europe, North Africa and Middle East, and their potential use in pest control strategies
No full text[EN] The South American tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is an invasive Neotropical pest. After its first detection in Europe, it rapidly invaded more than 30 Western Palaearctic countries becoming a serious agricultural threat to tomato production in both protected and open-field crops. Among the pest control tactics against exotic pests, biological control using indigenous natural enemies is one of the most promising. Here, available data on the Afro-Eurasian natural enemies of T. absoluta are compiled. Then, their potential for inclusion in sustainable pest control packages is discussed
providing relevant examples.Vercher Aznar, Rosa;Urbaneja, A. (2013). Natural enemies of the South American moth, Tuta absoluta, in Europe, North Africa and Middle East, and their potential use in pest control strategies. Journal of Pest Science. 86:635-647. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-013-0531-9S6356478
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