Life History, Sex Attraction, Mating, and Natural Enemies of the Grape Mealybug, Pseudococcus maritimus (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae)

Life history studies were made of Pseudococcus maritimus (Ehrhorn) reared in the laboratory on potato sprouts at a LD 16:8 photoperiod and ca. 24°C. The female mealybug had three larval instars while the male had four. Stadia were determined for all stages except the egg and first instar. Average number of eggs produced was 57.0 (n = 38). Larger females (length in mm) produced more eggs than smaller females (P < 0.01, n = 20). Mating was necessary for egg production. Five pheromone traps were placed in a Concord grape vineyard in August 1983 during adult male emergence; three were baited with 10 P. maritimus virgin females each; two traps were not baited. The baited traps collected 98.5% of all trapped males, suggesting that mature virgin female grape mealybugs produce a male attractant. Natural enemies of the grape mealybug were collected as they were encountered in the field. These included a parasite, Pseudaphycus angelicus (Howard), and a hyperparasite, Pachyneuron sp. Larvae of Chrysopa carnea Stephens and C. oculata Say preyed on early instars of grape mealybugs occurring under rough bark of the grape vine. In mid-August 1981 and 1982, adults of Coccinella transversoguttata Faldermann were observed in the vineyard feeding on mealybugs on grape clusters.