Predators of the giant pine scale, Marchalina hellenica (Gennadius 1883; Hemiptera: Marchalinidae), out of its natural range in Turkey

• Published in: Open life sciences 2021-07, Vol.16 (1), p.682-694
• Main Authors: Oğuzoğlu, Şükran, Avcı, Mustafa, İpekdal, Kahraman
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: biological control; Brutian pine; honeydew producer; natural enemy; prey shift
• ISSN: 2391-5412; 2391-5412
• DOI: 10.1515/biol-2021-0066

is a sap sucking scale insect endemic to the Aegean basin and it has been introduced to several regions in Greece and Turkey to increase pine honey production. It is also considered as a pest since heavy infestation may leave the host trees vulnerable to secondary pests. An understanding of its natural predators would facilitate planning biocontrol programs. Although there are several studies reporting the predators of in its native range, there is no study identifying those in its introduced range. We aimed to determine predators of in Burdur, one of its introduced sites in Turkey. We carried out sampling through regular visits in an -infested locality nearby Burdur Lake. Through field and laboratory observations, we identified 19 species predating upon . Comparing predators reported in previous studies in its native range and those we found in the present study showed that 12 of the species that we found are new reports for the species predating upon . The highest number of predator individuals belonged to the monophagous . , and were also the most frequently observed predators.