Studies on Solanum mealy bug, Phenacoccus solani Ferris (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), its parasitoid and predator complex, reproductive potential and utilization as laboratory prey for rearing the ladybird and green lacewing predators

Studies revealed that Solanum mealy bug, Phenacoccus solani, is an emerging pest problem. A total of five predatory coccinellids viz; B. lineatus, B. suturalis C. sexmaculata, N. regularis and S. coccivora were isolated from the field population of P. solani infesting different plant species. B. lineatus was predominant and was also active at 40–45°C. The parasitoid emerged from field samples were an unidentified encyrtid and dipteran. The mealy bug was amenable for mass production on sprouted Irish potato tuber, S. tuberosum and found aggressive over F. virgata, M. hirsutus and N. viridae as it displaced their population with in six months/4–5 generations of co-rearing in the laboratory. It completed its life cycle in 30–35 days. Mean reproductive potential of P. solani based on crawler production per gravid female was recorded in the order of Sunflower (313.6) > Hibiscus (284.2) > Okra (250.8) > Cotton (232) > Lantana (219.6) > Tomato (216.4) > Chilli (198.2) > Parthenium (191.0) > Wild jute (170.4) > Amaranthus (159.2) > Carpet grass (154.2) > Chenopodium sp. (125.6).