Mealybug Trabutina serpentina in Southeastern Kazakhstan as a Biological Control Agent for Saltcedars (Tamarix spp.)

The mealybug Trabutina serpentina has two generations in southeastern Kazakhstan. The second instars of the second generation overwinter. Between 2003 and 2005, for the second time in 50 years, a large reproduction of this pseudococcid was observed in the Ile River valley. The Kazakhstan populations of this species should be removed from the list of potential biocontrol agents for Tamarix ramosissima considered suitable for use in the USA, due to its demonstrated potential to harm American populations of T. aphylla, as shown in our host-specificity tests. Nonetheless, the species could be used for biological control of tamarisk in South Africa, Australia, and other countries, given its narrow host range, which excludes beneficial species in these regions.