Raciti, E., Saraceno, F., & Siscaro, G. 2003 Mass rearing of Aphytis melinus for biological control of Aonidiella aurantii in Sicily.. Bulletin OILB/SROP (Sect. Reg. Ouest Palearctique) 26(6): 125-134.

Notes: [Integrated control in citrus fruit crops. Proceedings of the IOBC/WPRS Working Group, Valencia, Spain, 6-8 November, 2002. Garcia-Marí, F. (Ed.) Publisher: International Organization for Biological and Integrated Control of Noxious Animals and Plants (OIBC/OILB), West Palaearctic Regional Section (WPRS/SROP).] A mass rearing of the aphelinid Aphytis melinus, the main biological control agent of California red scale (Aonidiella aurantii) in Sicily, has been started in 1995 within a Regional Extension Service IPM program. The rearing, maintained in an insectary of the Regional Phytosanitary Service, had the aim to produce parasitoids in order to verify their efficacy in controlling the pest through augmentative releases. The beneficial has been reared, from 2000, on a parthenogenetic strain of Aspidiotus nerii, originally supplied by the INRA laboratory of Valbonne (France). Further observations on the main biological features of the wasp have been started in collaboration with the Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie fitosanitarie of the University of Catania (Italy). The biological parameters will be employed to compare the commercial and indigenous strains to evaluate the possibility of using the indigenous strains in biological control programmes, due to the uncertain field results given by the commercial strains.