Meyerdirk, D.E., & Newell, I.M. 1979a Importation, colonization, and establishment of natural enemies on the Comstock mealybug in California.. Journal of Biological Control 72(1): 70-73.
Notes: Since 1967 when first discovered in California in Porterville, Tulare County, Pseudococcus comstocki (Kuw.) has been collected from a total of 65 food-plants, including lemon, orange, quince, pomegranate, grape, peach, pear, plum and mulberry. The commonest food-plant is fruitless mulberry, which is the dominant shade tree in Tulare County. The heaviest infestations on commercial crops occurred on lemon, pomegranate and quince. The authors report the results of a survey of the parasite complex of P. comstocki in Porterville in 1972 prior to new introductions and the importation of natural enemies and subsequent efforts to establish them in the state from 1973 to 1975. The imported parasites Allotropa burrelli Mues., A. convexifrons Mues. and Pseudaphycus malinus Gah. were found to be successfully established in the state in 1972. Two additional parasites, Anagyrus subalbipes Ishii and Clausenia purpurea Ishii, which attack P. comstocki in Japan, had not become established after two years of colonisation efforts. Other parasites of mealybugs imported from Japan, South Korea, Paraguay, Brazil, Israel, Iran and Canada were either not successfully reared on P. comstocki or did not become established following their release.