Seasonal abundance of parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Aphidiinae) and predators (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) of aphids infesting citrus in Greece

Field experiments were carried out in a citrus orchard in Greece for two years in order to examine the role of aphidophagous insects in the population reduction of aphids infesting citrus. The aphid species found were: Toxoptera aurantii, Aphis (Aphis) gossypii and Myzus (Nectarosiphon) persicae (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea). Among these species T. aurantii was by far the most abundant. The aphidiine parasitoids recorded from T. aurantii were in decreasing order: Aphidius colemani, A. matricariae, Diaeretiella rapae, Praon volucre and Ephedrus persicae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Aphidiinae). In the case of A. gossypii, the aphidiine parasitoids emerged were in decreasing order: Binodoxys angelicae, A. colemani and D. rapae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Aphidiinae). In contrast, M. persicae was not found to be parasitized. The parasitization of T. aurantii was significantly higher than that of A. gossypii. Coccinellid species found were: Scymnus (Pullus) subvillosus, S. apetzi, S. rubromaculatus, Coccinella septempunctata, Adalia bipunctata, A. decempunctata, Hippodamia (Semiadalia) undecimnotata, and Propylaea quatuordecimpunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). The species of the genera Scymnus, Coccinella and Adalia were the most abundant.