Bionomics of papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus and its predator Spalgius epius in mulberry ecosystem.

Papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus, the invasive pest from Central American countries has caused havoc in agricultural and horticultural crops in India ever since its first report from Coimbatore during 2007. The search for the effective parasitoids in India is still elusive. Attention has been focused on the conservation of native predators of the pest. Spalgius epius was recorded as a potential predator of different species of mealybugs and scales. As mulberry ecosystem provides a suitable niche for colonization of the predator owing to limited use of chemicals, investigations were taken up to explore the utility of this Lycaenid as a biological control agent of P. marginatus in mulberry. Photomicrograph aided investigations have thrown light on the peculiar feeding behaviour of the predatory larvae. Ex situ confinement studies have shown that the fifth instar larvae consumed as much as 18 to 26 (22.33±3.21) ovisacs and 112 to 132 (121.66 ± 8.86) nymphs and adults of the mealy bugs. During the whole larval period the predatory larvae devoured about 42 to 53 (48.15±4.08) ovisacs and 196 to 222 (210.99 ± 10. 77) nymphs and adults of P.marginatus.