Determination of prevalence, density and parasitoids of mealybug (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae) species in Diyarbakir, Mardin and Elaziğ vineyard areas and molecular characterization of mealybugs and their parasitoids

The study was conducted between 2021 and 2023 with the objective of determining the mealybug species present in vineyard areas of the provinces of Diyarbakır, Mardin and Elazığ, as well as the parasitoids and predators of these species. Additionally, the study aimed to track the population of the common mealybug species and to characterise the molecular makeup of mealybugs and their parasitoids. A total of 427 vineyard areas were surveyed, with the collected samples placed in Eppendorf tubes containing 70% alcohol for morphological studies and 96% alcohol for molecular studies. In order to detect the species of parasitoid and determine the natural parasitism rate, plant parts infested with mealybugs were placed in transparent storage containers. In order to monitor the population, a vineyard area in Diyarbakır and Elazığ where insecticide applications had not been made was selected and population monitoring studies were conducted over a two-year period. Planococcus ficus was identified in 115 of the surveyed vineyards, with eight of these exhibiting a particularly high density. A total of nine parasitoid species of P. ficus belonging to the Encyrtidae and Eulophidae families, and 12 predator species belonging to the families Reduviidae, Coccinellidae, Chrysopidae, Miridae and Hemerobiidae have been identified. The highest recorded parasitism rate was 4.70% and was observed in Mardin province. In the context of population monitoring studies, it has been established that P. ficus spends the winter months beneath the bark, irrespective of its biological phase. The movement of the species towards the green parts of the plants begins from the beginning of May, with the population reaching a density peak in August and September. The fertility periods of P. ficus in Diyarbakır and Elazığ for the 2021-2022 period were determined. Molecular studies were conducted, including phylogenetic analyses of P. ficus and its parasitoids, resulting in the creation of phylogenetic trees.