Gounari, S., Matthiopoulos, M., Stathas, G.J., & Emmanouel, N.G. 2005 Aspects on bioecology and phenology of Physokermes hemicryphus (Dalman) in the county of Euritania - Greece. (Abstract only).. Proceedings of the X International Symposium on Scale Insect Studies, held at Plant Protection Research Institute, Adana/ Turkey, 19-23 April 2004. Adana Zirai Muscadele Arastirma Enstitusu. Adana, Turkey 408 pp.

Notes: Physokermes hemicryphus (Homoptera, Coccidae) is the most important honeydew producing insect on fir trees. It is parasitic on both Abies cephalonica and Abies borisii. Honey from fir trees constitutes between 5 and 7% of the total amount of honey produced in Greece. Research for the following paper was carried out in the County of Evritania, because it is the mountainous region with the greatest area (40.000 acres) of Abies cephalonica forest in Greece. The findings presented here are from observations made in 2002-2003, the first two years of the study. The population density of Physokermes hemicryphus and data about the biology of the insect was gathered from sample branches collected in areas of interest to beekeepers. The work included a preliminary survey of the uplands of the Eastern Evritania, 800 Km2 in extent, and a provisional classification of the different locations according to the density with which the trees were infested with Physokermes hemicriphus was undertaken. Physokermes hemicryphus completes one generation per year. It hibernates as a 2nd stage nymph. The period when it is of most interest to beekeepers is after the insect has reached the adult stage and the drops of honeydew produced are bigger and more attractiveness to the honeybees. In Euritania this happens during the first ten days of June. Physokermes hemicryphus starts to deposit between 100 -230 eggs after 25th June, but continues to feed and to produce honeydew until the beginning of August, when the crawlers; start to hatch. They disperse towards new plant growth where they become attached to the nodes of new growth in order to feed. At the beginning of September the first 2nd stage nymphs start to appear, settle to on the nodes on the growth from the current year. The scale overwinters in that site, feeding and increasing in size until May the following year, when it will developed to adult. In May 2003 samples were taken from 30 areas in the county, which showed infestation rates of between 0 and 0.75 insects per node. Samples will be taken again in May 2004. Attempts to link the rate of infestation by the insects with honey production were made in three sites out of the thirty in Euritania, and compared with results from another 4 areas of fir forest in Greece, in which significant quantities of honey is produced. These are: Tayetos, Mainalo, Xelmos and Bardousia. The preliminary results show that 0.4 insects per node can give a medium production of about 6-10 kg of honey per beehive, but if there is 0.9 -1.0 insects per it can give about 15-20 kg of honey, depending, of course on the efficiency of the bee hives and the degree of parasitic infestation of the adult Physokermes hermicryphus This research will be continued during the honey producing season in 2004. The aim of the whole effort is to make measurements which will give a stable data base from which predictions can be made about the honey production potential of fir trees and perhaps new areas of interest to beekeepers can be pinpointed from.