Within-plant distribution of Parthenolecanium corni (Bouché) (Hemiptera: Coccidae) on grapevine

Abstract

The European fruit lecanium, Parthenolecanium corni (Bouché) (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae), is an important grapevine pest in all grape production regions. Due to its hidden way of life, knowing which vine parts to sample when monitoring is important for early infestation detection. Within-plant distribution of this pest was studied throughout the whole vegetative season, in a three-year field trial carried out in Neštin, Serbia. Grapevine trunk and cane were each divided in three equal sections. Reference point was the merging spot of trunk and cane. Canopy was divided in nine equal quadrants. The number of P. corni individuals in each part was estimated. It was recorded that P. corni adult females and nymphs prefer certain grapevine parts for their settlement. A significant difference between the number of adult females recorded on different grapevine woody parts was observed, with the highest number recorded on the first third of cane. The nymphs, which infest canopy, were unevenly distributed. Their number was highest on the leaves nearby preferred adult female settlement spots (first third of cane) throughout the whole season. The number of adult females and nymphs showed a decreasing trend with the increase of distance from the reference point. The information gathered during this research can be useful for early detection and monitoring of P. corni infestations in the vineyards. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.