[…] an effective maintenance tool against the citrus mealybug.
In the news item posted previously, “Are Leptos Really Back?!,” I referenced an article called “What’s New, What Works: Mealy Defense” by Suzanne Wainwright-Evans (the The Bug Lady), printed in Interiorscape Magazine (Jul.-Aug., 2005). And as noted in that news item, the article left me wanting more info. Apparently more information was supposed to be printed by the magazine, but was inadvertently omitted. The magazine will correct this oversight within the next month or two, but in the meantime I have some great news!
I was contacted by Suzanne today. She was kind enough to give the info I was missing. In a nutshell: Leptos — the citrus mealybug parasitoid Leptomastix dactylopii — are indeed back. In Fact we already deal with the producer — Syngenta Bioline. They forgot to tell us it seems. Now that we know, though, we’re happy to report that we have them immediately available, as should our distributors. (Contact your preferred distributor or call us at 603.942.8925 for pricing and whatnot.)
This is such a plus to interiorscapers and others who may want or need these parasitic mini-wasps as an effective maintenance tool against the citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri. (See Scale & Mealybug Pests to learn more.) People have been asking for them on and off for quite some time so this is long overdue. We’re just glad they’re back and didn’t permanently fade away as has happened with some biocontrol agents in years past. It’s always such a shame as it’s not easy bringing them to market to begin with. This time, though, Leptos are back!
Thanks for the news, Suzanne.
Update: This biocontrol agent, Leptomastix dactylopii is now covered on this site.
