Search

In this short communication describing experiments carried out on the larvae of two insects, Unaspis euonymi Comstock (feeding on Euonymus japonicus Thunb.) and Dynaspidiotus britannicus Newstead (feeding on Laurus nobilis L.), we evaluate for the first time the efficiency of using DNA insecticides in the control of sap-sucking insects, including armored scale insects. Over a period of 10 days, high insect mortality was detected in both U. euonymi and D. britannicus, accompanied by a significant decrease in the concentration of target RNAs. At the same time, no visible changes were observed when the leaves of the host plants were subjected to treatment with DNA insecticides for one month. The results show the high efficiency of DNA insecticides used against hemipteran insect pests. It is noteworthy that the high efficiency of DNA insecticides and their low cost in comparison with RNA preparations provides a safe and extremely promising potential vehicle for the control of sap-sucking insects.

Dynaspidiotus britannicus (Newstead) LATVIA: dry material. Viburnum tinus: Rīga —4919 (11.i.1941), 4917 (12.vii.1947), 4918 & 5269 (27.ii.1948)., Published as part of Stalažs, Arturs, 2021, Biruta Rasiņa's collection of scale insects (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha Coccomorpha) at the Latvian National Museum of Natural History, including type material of several species, pp. 451-478 in Zootaxa 5039 (4) on page 474, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5039.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5515931

Summary In this study, the presence of the scale insect Dynaspidiotus abieticola (Koroneos) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) has been recorded in fir trees, Abies cephalonica Loudon (Pinaceae), on the Taygetus mountain (Peloponnese, South Greece). The biology of the scale insect was observed during a twelve month period, from February 2013 to January 2014. It was determined that the insect completed one generation. It overwintered as a reproductive adult female. The first ovipositions and hatching of crawlers were observed in early May, 2nd instar nymphs appeared at the beginning of August, male nymphs were seen in September and finally the first adult females at the beginning of October.

Dynaspidiotus britannicus (Newstead, 1898) This is probably an erroneous record based on a misidentification. Borg (1932) recorded this species (as Aspidiotus britannicus), as frequent in many places on Pittosporum tobira, Viburnum tinus, Euonymus japonicus, Hedera helix and others. However, there are no further records of this species from Malta and all recent records from the above-mentioned host-plants are Aspidiotus nerii. In addition, D. britannicus has never been recorded on either Pittosporum or Euonymus, whereas A. nerii has been recorded on all four of the above mentioned host plants. On the Dynaspidiotus britannicus catalogue page, ScaleNet (Ben-Dov et al., 2014) says: ��� Aspidiotus hederae; Newstead, 1896: 279. Misidentification; discovered by Newstead, 1898: 94 ���. Since Borg (1932) included Aspidiotus hederae Newst. non Vallot as a synonym of Aspidiotus britannicus, it seems likely that he was following Newstead���s misidentification. Dynaspidiotus britannicus is therefore excluded from the Maltese scale insect fauna., Published as part of Mifsud, David, Mazzeo, Gaetana, Russo, Agatino & Watson, Gillian W., 2014, The scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) of the Maltese Archipelago, pp. 499-525 in Zootaxa 3866 (4) on page 517, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3866.4.3, http://zenodo.org/record/4930613, {"references":["Newstead, R. (1898) Observations on Coccidae (no. 17). Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, 34, 92 - 99.","Borg, J. (1932) Scale Insects of the Maltese Islands. Government Printing Office, Malta, 20 pp.","Ben-Dov, Y., Miller, D. R. & Gibson, G. A. P. (2014) ScaleNet. Available from: http: // www. sel. barc. usda. gov / scalenet / scalenet. htm (accessed 22 February 2014)","Newstead, R. (1896) Aspidiotus hederae, Vallot, new to Britain. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, 32, 279."]}

Dynaspidiotus californicus (Coleman), 1903. Material examinado. Cuba: La Fé, Remates de Guane, 12.i.1968, col. A. Huba y R. Alayo, Pinus tropicalis, 1 (F) adulta (CZAC). Notas. Dynaspidiotus californicus incide sobre 13 especies de Pinaceae, puede considerarse monófaga. Fue descrita para EE. UU. y está ampliamente distribuida en la región Neártica; además se ha referido para República Dominicana en el Neotrópico (Miller et al. 2005; Ben-Dov 2009c). Está citada para Cuba en Pinus caribaea (Ballou 1926; Bruner et al. 1975). Ha sido mencionada como plaga importante de los pinos en la costa oeste de EE. UU., causando decoloración, defoliación y reduciendo su crecimiento (Gill 1997). Esta especie no está citada para Cuba en ScaleNet (Ben-Dov et al. 2009)., Published as part of Novoa, Nereida Mestre, Hamon, Avas, Evans, Greg, Kondo, Takumasa, Oliver, Herrera, Hernández, Arturo & Alonso, Ana Abraham, 2011, Los cocoideos (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea) presentes en la Cordillera de Guaniguanico, Pinar del Río, Cuba, y la relación con sus hospedantes, pp. 1-25 in Insecta Mundi 2011 (183) on pages 11-12, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5161102, {"references":["Miller, D. R., G. L. Miller, G. S. Hodges, y J. A. Davidson. 2005. Introduced scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) of the United States and their impact on U. S. agriculture. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 107 (1): 123 - 158.","Ben-Dov, Y. 2009 c. ScaleNet, Diaspididae: Aspidiotinae. Consultado en la web: http: // www. sel. barc. usda. gov / SCALENET / distrib. htm Fecha de consulta: junio del 2010.","Ballou, C. H. 1926. Los coccidos de Cuba y sus plantas hospederas. Estacion Agronomica de Santiago de las Vegas. Boletin 51: 1 - 47.","Bruner, S., L. C. Scaramuzza, y A. R. Otero. 1975. Catalogo de los insectos que atacan a las plantas economicas de Cuba (2 da Edicion Revisada y Aumentada). Academia de Ciencias de Cuba; La Habana. 1975: 395 p.","Gill, R. J. 1997. The Scale Insects of California. Part 3. The Armored Scales (Homoptera: Diaspididae). California California Department of Food and Agriculture Sacramento. Technical Series in Agriculture Biosystematic and Plant Pathology. 307 p.","Ben-Dov, Y., D. R. Miller, y G. A. P. Gibson. 2009. ScaleNet. A data base of the scale insects of the world. Consulatdo en: http: // www. sel. barc. usda. gov / scalenet / scalenet. htm Fecha de consulta: junio del 2010."]}