Shipments of 50,000 commercially reared Aphytis melinus DeBach were obtained from each of the five insectaries that produce and sell this parasitoid to citrus growers in California for control of California red scale, Aonidiella aurantii (Maskell). Shipments were received from each insectary every 2 mo over a period of a year to assess variability in quality through time and between insectarie...

Hesperetin (HET) and naringenin (NGR) are flavanones found in citrus (oranges and grapefruit) and Aurantii Fructus Immaturus. The present study aims to investigate the inhibition potential of HET and NGR derivatives towards one of the most important phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes-uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs). We used trifluoperazine as a probe substrate to test ...

The postharvest control of arthropod pests is a challenge that the California citrus industry must overcome when exporting fruit overseas. Currently, methyl bromide fumigation is used to control postharvest pests on exported citrus, but it may soon be unavailable because of use restrictions and cost of this health-hazard ozone-depleting chemical. Ethyl formate is a natural plant volatile and po...

Amongst the 100 described species worldwide of the genus Scirtothrips, the South African Citrus Thrips, S. aurantii Faure, has been considered unique because the males possess a comb of stout setae on the hind femora (Hoddle & Mound, 2003). A new species that shares this character state is described here from Cedrus (Pinaceae) in Kenya, although no information is available for either species co...

Potassium sorbate (KS), a common food preservative, was evaluated to control postharvest decay of citrus fruit. Significant advantages of KS ver the commonly used sodium bicarbonate, which similarly improved fungicide performance, are the relatively low salt concentration of KS, the bsence of sodium, and its lower pH, so disposal of used KS solutions would raise fewer regulatory issues. The inf...

The tea aphid, Toxoptera aurantii Boyer (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is a major pest of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze (Theaceae). The attraction of the aphids to different colors and volatile compounds from tea shoots was investigated. Fourteen compounds were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry from headspace samples of intact tea shoot volatiles (ITSV). Electroph...

The usage and acceptability of biological control methods are set to increase in agriculture in the future because of food safety and pesticide residue issues. Biological control implementation in Turkey started with control of cottony cushion scale Icerya purchasi (Homoptera: Margarodidae) through the introduction and release of Rodolia cardinalis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in citrus plantati...

A simple, sensitive and specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the determination of auraptene, a constituent isolated from Fructus aurantii with potential to combat Alzheimer's disease, in rat plasma. Rat plasma samples were pretreated by protein precipitation with methanol. The analytes were separated by a Waters Sun Fire C18 column (50 m...

Results of analyses of molecular sequence (COI, 28S-D2) and morphology (21 character states) data, both alone and combined, were used to determine relationships between 18 species of Scirtothrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae, Thripinae). Two species of Neohydatothrips from Panama were used as the outgroup. Five major pest Scirtothrips were included in these analyses: S. aurantii, S. citri, S. dorsa...