Mass rearing and dispersal of biological control agents (BCAs) as interventions in Coconut Scale Insect (CSI) calamity areas in Basilan, Philippines

Abstract

Predatory beetles and Parasitoids were mass-reared using the squash medium and coconut seedling media, respectively, in Basilan, Mindanao and Southern Philippines. The methods were used to mass-produce BCAs to control the infestations of Coconut Scale Insects (CSI).  The CSIs taken from infested coconut leaves were inoculated on squash fruits. When 80% of the fruits were coated by CSI, the adult predators of genus Telsimia and Cybocephalus and parasitoids Comperiella calauanica were separately placed in rearing boxes that contained the CSI-coated fruits.  On these CSI-coated fruits, the adult female predators were allowed to lay their eggs.  Five methods were used to rear the parasitoids. These were the squash medium exposed in different laboratory temperatures and light exposures, the CSI-infested coconut seedlings in open backyard and CSI-infested seedlings in net cage.  The squash medium method was used to rear the predatory beetles.  The CSI-infested coconut seedlings in net cages were the best protocol to mass-rear the parasitoids. These parasitoids grew only in external net cages and selectively on one CSI species, Aspidiotus rigidus. that initially had also preference for coconut plants.  The predators grew best in squash medium where 2 CSI species, Aspidiotus destructor and Aspidiotus excisus, favored transferred infestation of the BCAs, the predatory beetles were the first to grow large population and were the first ones released to the coconut farmers.  A total of 234,000 predators and 379,500 parasitoids were harvested and dispersed in 6 Municipalities of Basilan within the year of project.