Entomology

 Objectives

 Study and biological approach of pests control of Olives, Citrus, Vegetables, Subtropical Plants and other crops of Crete.

 Study of insect and mite morphology and biology, the extent of damage they cause and the relation of these harmful enemies with the environment.

 Mass rearing of beneficial insects for biological control and enrichment of the beneficial fauna of Crete.

 Study of the effectiveness of chemical as well as organic insecticides and of alternative techniques of integrated control of pests.

 Application of alternative methods of chemical control of pests in frames of Integrated Crop Production.

 Results

Infestation of citrus stem by Ceroplastes sinensis

 Indentification and studies of the new for the area pests of citrus (white flies, moths, thrips, soft scales, miridae etc) and control with biological methods.

 Biological and ecological characteristics of the major insect pests of Olive, Citrus, Vegetables, Subtropical Plants and other crops of Crete.

Effectiveness of non-chemical methods against pests.

 Introduction of beneficial insects as well as release them for the biological control of specific insect pests.

 Tests of new products which have been carried out for the control of crop pests of the area resulted in the reduction of chemicals used for this purpose.

Most favourable hosts of Calocoris trivialis in orchards of Chania

 Effectiveness of new products and application of mass trapping for the control of olive fruit fly.

 Identification of natural enemies (parasites, parasitoids and predators) of the major crop pests of the area and study their contribution to the reduction of damage.

 Study of the man interference to the beneficial fauna.

Daidalos (Ganadaki)	Elcofon(Stayrakis)	Yellow bag (Hellafarm)
Ecotrap (Vioryl)	Olive target device (Sygenta)	Zerva

Types of traps that are used in Mass trapping systems against olive fruit fly

 Many beneficial insects were released to orchards all around the country, especially to Crete and Southern Greece.

 Sample analysis was done and instructions given to Public organisations, Cooperatives and individual farmers.

 Research Projects

Evaluation of the effectiveness of Success 0.024 CB in olive and citrus orchards against Olive fruit fly and Mediterranean fly respectively ". Funding by chemical company.

Bait spray from the ground application with phytosanitary products against the olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae)

Evaluation of the effectiveness of a-cypermethrin against olive fruit fly in olive orchards". Funding by chemical company.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of ready use baits of a-cypermethrin against olive fruit fly in olive orchards". Funding by chemical company.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of l-cyhalothrin against olive fruit fly in olive orchards". Funding by chemical company.

Study of the effectiveness of Κarate 1.5%, Karate 2.5WG and Karate with Zeon 10CS (l- cyhalothrin) against olive fly by bait spray applications from the ground as well as Κarate 1.5%, Karate with Zeon 10CS and Κarate 2.5WG (l- cyhalothrin), Eforia 045CS (l- cyhalothrin/ thiamethoxam) and Actara 25WG (Thiamethoxam 25%) with cover from the ground sprays. Funding by chemical company.

Olive tree which has underneath its canopy a net, in order to find the relationship between olive population of orchard and olive captures of McPhail traps

Evaluation of the effectiveness of FURY 10 EW (zeta cypermethrin) against olive fruit fly in olive orchards". Funding by chemical company.

Application of alternative to chemical methods against of fly to orchards of a group of olive producers of Apokoronas. Funding by Agricultural Cooperation of Apokoronou and Sfakion.

Comparative studies of control B. oleae (Gmelin) (Study of the effectiveness of new products, of biological and ecological characteristics of olive fruit fly as well as its resistance to insecticides. Ministry of Rural Development and Food.

Study of biology and ecology of Planococcus species on vines of Municipality of Iraklio. Ministry of Rural Development and Food.

Conservation of the European plantation of Vitis vinifera for stem cuttings in frames of control Viteus vitifoliae (Fitch)(Homoptera: Phylloxeridae) in Crete". Ministry of Agriculture

Rearing of Planococcus ficus in potato sprouts

 Announcements-Publications

1. Alexandrakis V. Tzouvelekas V., and K. Varikou. 2005. Economic returns of pesticide use in olive growing farms in Crete. 2nd European Meeting of the IOBC/WPRS Working Group of ‘Integrated Protection of Olive Crops’  Florence, Italy, pp. 14, 26-28/10/2005.

2. Alexandrakis, V., K. Varikou & A. Kalaitzaki & D. Lykouressis, 2005. Effect of several insecticides for control of Bactrocera oleae (Gmelin), (Diptera:Tephritidae) to Arthropods fauna of Olive grove. 2nd European Meeting of the IOBC/WPRS Working Group of ‘Integrated Protection of Olive Crops’ Florence, Italy, pp.29, 26-28/10/2005.    

3. Alexandrakis, V., K. Varikou & A. Kalaitzaki, 2005. Control of Bactrocera oleae (Gmelin) (Diptera: Tephritidae) in olive groves of Crete, International Symposium ‘Organic Agriculture in the Mediterranean, Problems and Perspectives, Chania, Greece, pp.39, 9-11 November 2005.

4. Alexandrakis, V., K., Varikou & A. Kalaitzaki. 2005. Study of Trapping Systems for Control of Bactrocera oleae (Gmelin)(Diptera:Tephritidae) in Crete Olive Groves, 15th International Scientific Conference on Organic Agriculture ‘Researching Sustainable Systems’  Adelaide, Australia,pp. 3,  21-23 September 2005 (full paper).

5. Kalaitzaki A., Varikou K., Alexandrakis V. 2009.  Study of the effectiveness of various insecticides for the control of Bactrocera oleae (Gmelin) (Diptera : Tephritidae) in Crete olive groves. 3rd European Meeting of the IOBC/WPRS Working Group of ‘Integrated Protection of Olive Crops’  Bracagna, Portugal, pp.53, 10-12/2007.    

6. Mavrotas, C., V., Alexandrakis, D., Prophetou, D., Kovaios, K., Varikou, P. Vergoulas. 2003. ‘GF-120* Naturalyte Insect Control Product Field performance for the control of olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae Gmel)on Olive trees by bait application in the Mediterranean countries’. 1st European Meeting of the IOBC/WPRS study group of ‘Integrated Control in Olives’, MAIch, pp. 15, Chania 29-31 May 2003.

7. PROPHETOU, D., VARIKOU, Ν.Κ. & Z.V. ALEXANDRAKIS. 2003. ‘Effectiveness and attractiveness of different types of traps in Mass trapping for the control of B. oleae’.  1st European Meeting of the IOBC/WPRS study group of ‘Integrated Control in Olives’, MAIch, Chania, Crete, pp.12,  29-31 May 2003.

8. Roditakis E., M. Grispou, G. Katsikogiannis, K. Varikou, A. Kalaitzaki, E. Pitika, N. Sidiropoulos, E. Karantaraki, V. Salvanos, D. Gilpathi, J. Vontas. 2009.  Detection and monitoring of insecticide resistance in Bactroceraoleae from Greece. 4nd European Meeting of the IOBC/WPRS Working Group of ‘Integrated Protection of Olive Crops’  Cordoba, Spain, pp. 23, 1-4/6/2009

9. VARIKOU K., ALEXANDRAKIS V., MAVROTAS K. & A. KOULETAKIS 2004. New records on the control of Olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae Gmelin. 5th International Symposium on Olive Growing, pp. 59, Turkey 27/9-2/10/04.

10. VARIKOU K., TSITSIPIS J.A., ALEXANDRAKIS V., MOUND L. 2002 'Pezothrips kellyanus (Bagnall) (Thysanoptera:Thripidae), a new pest of citrus trees in Crete'.VIIth European Congress of Entomology, pp.220, October 7-13, Thessaloniki, Greece.

11. VARIKOU, K., ALEXANDRAKIS, V., & A., KALAITZAKI, 2004. Study of theeffectiveness of Mass Trapping and new products for the control of the olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae (Gmelin) (Diptera: Tephritidae) in organic olive groves. Premier Seminaire International sur les Biotechnologies et Qualite des produits de l' Olivier dans le basin Mediterraneen, pp. 90, 22-24 November, Moroco.

12. Varikou, K., J.A., Tsitsipis, V., Alexandrakis, and M. Hoddle 2009. Effect of temperature on the development and longevity of Pezothrips kellyanus (Bagnall) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 2009 (accepted for publication)

13. VARIKOU, K., KOURGIALAS, N. & V. ALEXANDRAKIS. 2003. ‘Study of various attractants of Bactrocera oleae and effectiveness of colouring-indicators in their attractiveness’. International Symposium on the Olive tree and the Environment, Chania, Crete, pp. 51, 1-3 October 2003.

 Personnel