Elatophilus hebraicus Pericart
Systematic position: Insecta, Hemimetabola, Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Anthocoridae.
Morphology: Adult body flat, about 2-5 mm in length, black-brown. Head, legs and antennae red-brown, abdomen mostly black.
Life history: The bugs usually place their eggs (ca 200/female) on pine (Aleppo pine, Pinus halepensis Mill. or on brutia pine (P. brutia Tenore)) needles. The emerging larvae and adults feed on all stages of Matsucoccus josephi, to which it is attracted by the prey’s sex pheromones. Longevity at 26°C is about 2 months. This predator’s natural distribution parallels that of M. josephi and its principal pine hosts.
Economic importance: Elatophilus hebraicus is a specific, very common predator of M. josephi. The predator’s presence can be monitored by using traps baited with the prey’s pheromone.
References
Dunkelblum, E., Harel, M., Assael, F., Mori, K. and Mendel, Z. 2000. Specificity of pheromonal and kairomonal response of the Israeli pine bast scale Matsucoccus josephi and its predator Elatophilus hebraicus. Journal of Chemical Ecology 26:1649-1657.
Mendel, Z, Carmi-Gera E, Podoler H, Assael F, 1995. Reproductive behavior of the specialist predator Elatophilus hebraicus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 88: 856-861.
Mendel, Z., Adar, K., Nestel, D., Dunkelblum, E., 1997. Sex pheromone traps as a tool for the study of population trends of the predator of a scale insects and for the identification of potential predators for biological control. IOBC WPRS Bulletin 20: 231-240.
Pericart, J. and Halperin, J. 1989. The Anthocoridae of Israel (heteroptera). Phytoparasitica 17: 91-98.
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