Mani, M., Ganga Visalakshy, P.N., Krishnamoorthy, A., & Venugopalan, R. 2008 Role of Coccophagus sp. in the suppression of the soft green scale Coccus viridis (Green) (Hompoptera: Coccidae) on sapota.. Biocontrol Science and Technology 18(7): 721-725

Notes: The soft green scale Coccus viridis (Green) (Homoptera: Coccidae) has become a major pest of sapota, Manilkara achras (Mill.) Forberg in India. A field study was conducted on the population dynamics of soft green scale Coccus viridis (Green) for 2 years (2004-2006) on sapota at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) farm, Bangalore, India. The population of green scale declined from 30.72 per leaf in May 2004 to 1.62 per leaf in March 2006. Two coccinellid predators Chilocorus nigrita (Fab.) and Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (Muls.) and one aphelinid parasitoid Coccophagus sp. were recorded on C. viridis. Both the predators played a minor role in the population fluctuation of C. viridis. The parasitoid Coccophagus sp. was the dominant natural enemy observed throughout the study recording a mean of 10.24-94.67% parasitism. A significant positive correlation of the scale population with minimum temperature (r=0.54) and negative relationship with the parasitism by Coccophagus sp. (r=0.81) was recorded. Multiple regression analysis revealed that 75.7% of the variation present in the green scale population could be predicted by abiotic factors and parasitism by Coccophagus sp. Further, step-wise regression procedure employed to arrive at a multiple regression model showed that about 65.60% of the scale population could be predicted by one factor namely, parasitism by Coccophagus sp. These results showed that parasitism by Coccophagus sp. played a major role in regulating the population of the soft green scale infesting sapota.