Biology
Both adult and immature mealybugs feed on plant sap and may
also inject salvia which is toxic to the host plant. Trabutina
mannipara occurs on saltcedar, Tamarix jordanis
or T. nilotica, growing near the Dead Sea and Sinai
areas in Israel. Young females secrete a tough, waxy egg sac
that encloses her as it grows. Eggs are laid inside the egg
sac and young nymphs escape through an opening in the sac
and crawl over the foliage. How crawlers disperse to new hosts
is not known although other mealybug nymphs are wind borne.
Second instar nymphs move only short distance before establishing
a feeding site. Third instar nymphs do not move but produce
large amounts of white wax which covers their body. Large
numbers of nymphs feed together in colonies which may cover
plant terminals. Adult females are wingless while males are
winged. The complete life cycle may vary from 30-40 days in
midsummer to 90 or more days during cooler weather. Two to
three generations may be completed in the field. In Israel,
T. mannipara is known only from areas warm enough for
citrus to grow. In the US, this zone extends north to Phoenix
and Tuscon, AZ and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
Status
The host range and biology of Trabutina mannipara
have been studied in Israel and under quarantine at the USDA-ARS
Research Laboratory in Temple, TX. No releases are pending
as of February, 2000.
Weeds Affected
This agent is for the biological control of saltcedar.
Literature
DeLoach, C. Jack. 1996. Saltcedar Biological Control: Methodolgy,
Exploration, Laboratory Trials, Proposals for Field Release
and Expected Environmental Effects. Saltcedar Management and
Riparian Restoration Workshop. Las Vegas, NV. US. Fish and
Wildlife.
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