Preliminary Assessment of the Parasitism of Comperiella calauanica Barrion, Almarinez, and Amalin on Aspidiotus rigidus Reyne in Hidden Valley Springs Resort, Calauan, Laguna, Philippines
M. Go, B. Almarinez, A. Barrion, J. Carandang VI, J. Legaspi, and D. Amalin (pp. 89-97)
Abstract
The coconut scale insect (CSI), Aspidiotus rigidus Reyne (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), is one of the most devastating insect pests of coconut in the Philippines. It reached epidemic pest status in 2013 in the Southern Tagalog mainland (Calabarzon Region). Several control measures had been tried but did not reach the management level desired. However, in April 2014, an encyrtidparasitoid was first recorded in the Hidden Valley Resort in Calauan, Laguna, to have direct association with A. rigidus. It was later described as a new species and named as Comperiella calauanica by Barrion, Almarinez, and Amalin (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). To assess the potential of this parasitic wasp against A. rigidus, a survey of the presence and establishment of this wasp was conducted at the Hidden Valley Springs Resort. Forty randomly selected frond- forming coconut saplings were chosen, and one leaflet per sapling was excised for the evaluation. Each leaflet was divided into three equal-size segments for counting the unparasitized and C. calauanica–parasitized A. rigidus. The average percentage parasitism of C. calauanica on A. rigidus was computed as 85.52% ± 1.28. Results suggest the potential of C. calauanica as a primary biological control agent of A. rigidus. Moreover, C. calauanica may be exploited for mass production and field augmentation for the management of A. rigidus.