The melon aphid Aphis gossypii Glover (Homoptera: Aphididae) can be both an aesthetic and a crop production problem on chrysanthemums during any season at any stage in the cropping cycle. To assess biological control as a management tool for this pest, we studied the efficacy of Aphidius colemani Viereck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) for suppression of A. gossypii in greenhouse grown chrysanthemums compared with a pesticide standard (Marathon) and an untreated check. Although aphid populations in the two treatments differed significantly from one another, both A. colemani and Marathon kept aphid numbers very low, in contrast to the exponential growth of aphid populations observed on the untreated plants. Parasitization rates in the A. colemani plots were higher than 70% throughout the experiment. Plant damage (includes the presence of cast skins, honey dew and sooty mold on leaves) was significantly different between treatments. Results are discussed in terms of economic and aesthetic value to growers of this ornamental crop.
Species 1: Hymenoptera Braconidae Aphidius colemani
Species 2: Homoptera Aphididae Aphis gossypii (melon aphid, cotton aphid)
Species 3: Asterales Asteraceae Chrysanthemum morifolium (Chrysanthemum)
Keywords: Parasitoid, Greenhouse pest
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA