The distribution, host plants and natural enemies of white peach scale, Pseudaulacaspis pentagona (Targioni-Tozzetti) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), in Ankara province.

Abstract

The distribution, host plants, and natural enemies of the white peach scale, Pseudaulacaspis pentagona (Targioni-Tozzetti) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), were investigated in 25 districts of Ankara Province, Turkey, during 2013-2015. Thirteen districts were infested with harmful white peach scale; infestation was most common in parks, roadsides, private and institution gardens in centrum and old silkroad parts of Ankara. Twenty-two host plant species were found in these 13 districts, five of which (Aesculus carnea, Hibiscus sp., Paulownia tomentosa, Rhus thyphina and Salix babylonica) had not previously been recorded as host plants in Turkey. Some host plant species, including Catalpa bignonioides, Cornus alba, Fraxinus americana, F. excelsior, Forsythia intermedia, Morus alba, M. nigra and Sophora japonica, were found to be very highly infested. Five species of predators and three species of parasitoids were associated with white peach scale. Orius minutus L., Chrysoperla pallida (Henry et al.) are new record as predator of P. pentagona in World and Epitetracnemus comis Noyes &Ren Hui are first time record in Turkey