Natural enemies of the Comstock mealybug, Pseudococcus comstocki (Hem.: Pseudococcidae) as an important pest of mulberries in Tabriz, Iran

The Comstock mealybug, Pseudococcus comstocki (Kuwana), is a polyphagous pest distributed in the world, as well as Iran. Several species of mulberries, Morus spp, are infested with P. comstocki in Tabriz, East-Azarbaijan province. In the present study, natural enemies of P. comstocki are studied during 2012-2013. As a result, nine insect species of predators, parasitoids and hyperparasitoids associated with the pest were collected and identified as follows: Aphelinidae: Marietta pictaAndré; Encyrtidae: Anagyrus novickyi Hoffer, Coccidoxenoidesperminutus Girault, Echthroplexiella flava Mercet; Pteromalidae: Pachyneuron muscarum (L.); Signiphoridae: Chartocerus kurdjumovi Nikolskaya; Cecidomyiidae: Diadiplosis sp.; Chamaemyiidae: Leucopis sp.; Coccinellidae: Chilocorus bipustulatus L. Within this assemblage, Echthroplexiella flava is new record for Iranian insect fauna. Based on available literature, C. kurdjumovi, M. picta and P. muscarum are hyperparasitoids of the mealybug. The population fluctuation and relative abundance of this association in Tabriz were studied in 2013 and the Anagyrus novickyi was successfully reared for the first time on P. comstocki.