Shalaby, F.F., Hafez, A.A., Hamed, A.R., & Morsi, G.A. 2000 Description and biological studies on Aspidiotiphagus citrinus Craw. (Aphelinidae: Hymenoptera) a new record parasitoid on Aonidiella orientalis (Newst.) in Egypt.. Annals of Agricultural Science (Moshtohor) 38(1): 531-544.

Notes: Aspidiotiphagus citrinus [Encarsia citrina] was reared on Anonidiella orientalis infesting guava seedlings under laboratory conditions. This is the first record of this parasitoid species on A. orientalis in Egypt. The duration of the first, second and third larval instars, as well as the prepupa and pupal stages lasted for 2.7+/-0.11, 2.75+/-0.1, 2.65+/-0.11, 3.15+/-0.12 and 5.56+/-0.11 days, respectively at 27+/-2(deg)C and 70+/-5% RH, with a total developmental period of 17.90+/-0.22 days. The average number of eggs deposited in a single host was 1.43 in the laboratory and 1.54 eggs in the field, while only one larva succeeded to develop up to the adult stage/one host individual. A. citrinus is a solitary thelytokous parasitoid since all the produced adults from the field collected samples and those developed in the laboratory were females. Parasitism by A. citrinus succeeded in the laboratory on A. orientalis, A. tubercularis and Chrysomphalus ficus [C. aonidum]. The mean percentages of parasitism in the field were 42, 12, 13 and 8% on A. orientalis, A. tubercularis, C. ficus, Lepidosaphes pallida and Leucaspis riccae, respectively. While, this parasitic species never deposited in A. aurantii. The effect of different diets on the adult parasitoid was investigated. The best diet for the parasitoid was honey droplets and honey + water, which resulted in the longest oviposition and post-oviposition periods and life span. Females fed with honey droplets and/or water deposited the highest total number of eggs (56.6 and 60.1 eggs/female, respectively). Longevity and fecundity was lowest in individuals reared only on water.