Pseudococcus comstocki (kuwana) su fruttiferi e ornamentali nell’Italia nord-orientale e in altri paesi europei

P. comstocki (Kuwana) is a polyphagous mealybug native to Eastern Asia and incidentally introduced in many countries. It was first recorded in Western Europe (Italy and France) in 2004 on ornamental mulberry trees and later detected in other European countries. It is presently a pest in peach and apple orchards both in Italy and France. Damages consist mostly in fruit quality deterioration. Information on its distribution, host plants, phenology, ethology, damages and natural enemies in northeastern Italy are reported. In North eastern Italy the species develops three annual generations and overwinters mostly in the egg stage. The parasitoid Clausenia purpurea (Ishi) (Encyrtidae) is an active natural enemy of the mealybug presently distributed in the Veneto region. A comparison with the natural enemies of P. comstocki recorded in France and in Japan, the native area of the mealybug, is reported,