Pauropsylla buxtoni comb. nov. is a psyllid insect that infests fig trees (Ficus carica L.) in the Palestinian Territories. It sucks the plant sap and induces leaf galls in which it develops. In the present research, we identified an encyrtid parasitoid (Trechnites flavipes Mercet) on the immature stages of P. buxtoni. Morphological redescriptions of female and male adult of T. flavipes together with color illustrations are provided in this research. This is important for recognizable species, which might be used as a biocontrol agent of psyllid pests. Also, the mode of parasitism by this parasitoid is studied where host-parasitoid (P. buxtoni-T. flavipes) relationship is described. We observed that the female of T. flavipes parasitized the fourth or early fifth instars of P. buxtoni immatures with a mean percentage of natural parasitism ranging from 7.8 to 18.3% on the various fig cultivars grown in the Palestinian Territories. Significant differences in the means of percentage of parasitism on five cultivars were obtained. These differences may be related to the differences in susceptibility of these cultivars to P. buxtoni infestation. Also, the characteristics of these cultivars play an important role in this susceptibility. In conclusion, the results of this research may be exploited in the practical management of P. buxtoni on fig trees. The potential of T. flavipes as a biocontrol agent of P. buxtoni should be studied in depth in order to achieve an effective control of this insect pest. © 2018, Springer Nature B.V.

العنوان

Phytoparasitica

الناشر

Springer Netherlands

بلد الناشر

هولندا

Indexing

Thomson Reuters

معامل التأثير

0,882

نوع المنشور

مطبوع فقط

المجلد

46

السنة

2018

الصفحات

471-480