Zappalà, L., & Siscaro, G. 2008 Parasitoids of Pulvinariella mesembryanthemi (Vallot) (Coccoidea: Coccidae) in Italy.. Proceedings of the XI International Symposium on Scale Insect Studies, Oeiras, Portugal, 24-27 September 2007. ISA Press Lisbon, Portugal 322 pp.

Notes: The results of a survey carried out in 1989-1991 and 2004-2006 in Sicily and Calabria to investigate the composition of the parasitoid complex attacking Pulvinariella mesembryanthemi (Vallot) (Coccoidea: Coccidae) are reported. The samples were collected a' various sites, characterized by different degrees of anthropic pressure and at different altitudes, where Carpobrotus edulis (L.) (Aizoaceae), the primary host plant of P. mesembryanthemi is used as ornamental plant or grows spontaneously. Five species of hymenopterous parasitoids emerged from the infested material; Aphelinidae: Coccophagus lycimnia Walker, C. semicircularis (Forster), and Encyrtidae Metaphycus flavus (Howard), M. helvolus (Compere) and Microterys nietneri (Motschulsky C. semicircularis was the most abundant parasitoid (50%) followed by its congenus C lycimnia (43.4%). Very few specimens of both species of Metaphycus, which together represented 5.3 % of the total parasitic complex, and of M. nietneri (1.3 %) emerged from infested material collected. The two species of Coccophagus are recorded for the first time from this host.