Predators and Parasites of Insect Pests on Cantaloupe and Asparagus Bean, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

R.G. Bland and W.I. Knausenberger

No 261557, 20th Annual Meeting, October 21-26, 1984, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands from Caribbean Food Crops Society

Abstract: Cantaloupe (Cucumii melo L.) and asparagus beans (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesqutpedalis [L.J Verde.), were sampled weekly for insect pests and their predators and parasites duting the spring dry season. The three major pests of cantaloupe were melonworms (Diaphania hyalinata L.), melon aphids (Aphis gossypii Glover), and powdery mildew (Erysiphe sp.). Fire ants (Solenopsis geminata F.) became serious secondary pests by tending aphids. All four pests required chemical control. Sytphid, chrysopid, and coccinellid larvae preyed on aphids but these predator populations were very low and developed too slowly to exert significant control. Two ichneumonid, one chalcid, and one tachinid species were reared from melonworm pupae and one of the ichneumonids, Agrypon carihhaeum Bland, occurred in sufficient frequency to consider its use as a biological control agent.

Keywords: Crop Production/Industries; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 6
Date: 1984-10-21
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:cfcs84:261557

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.261557

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