Influence of Habitat on the Development of Lepidosaphes Beckii (Hemi

Influence of habitat on the development of lepidosaphes beckii (hemi. diaspididae) and the determination of the aconvenable period of control on citrus (on lemon and orange) in the region of Mitidja 2009-2010 (Algeria) (1) R.BELGUENDOUZ & (2) M. BICHE & (3) L. ALLAL and Z. Houmani (1) (3) Faculty of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences. University Saad DAHLEB Departement of biotechnology. Blida (09000). Algeria. E-mail: [email protected] (2) Institut of Agronomic sciences. El-Harrach Laboratory of zoology - Algeirs- Algeria. E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT The analysis of the comparison of Lepidosaphes beckii bio-ecological balances, known pest of citrus worldwide, is performed in two habitats, orange and lemon in the area of Mitija (Algeria). Its temporal distribution was similar on both host plants during the annual cycle, with greater overall abundance on orange (57.99%) than on lemons (42.006%). She developed three generations per year on both host plants (first) summer (second) and spring (third) fall, with a highly significant maximum outbreak in summer period (July). For this, it was important to provide a single biological control or chemical at the same time on the two host plants, if they are in the same locality, to reduce these outbreaks and protect the environment against the dangers of synthetic treatments repetition. Key words: Lepidosaphes beckii, Abondances and distribution, Citrus, Temperature and rainfall, Period of treatment To be able to understand these ecological variations INTRODUCTION at L. Beckii, the choice of biotope and plant is imperative. Both food agrumicales sources chosen are the orange tree (Citrus sinensis) and the lemon The citri-culture is a sector economically important for Algeria. Since the National Plan of the Agricultural (Citrus lemon), very wide-spread and very important Development advent, the national production of citrus in Algeria. fruits passed from 4.326.350 tons to 844.195 tons in 2010 (INPV, 2007).These Citrus fruits are subject of MATERIALS AND METHODS devastating pests, in particular Dispididae family, which are the most parasites met on citrus according The study of Lepidosaphes beckii population to the prospecting made by the National Algerian dynamic, and her abundance and its temporally Institute of Vegetables Protection in 2006. They distribution according to the host plant and the caused economic important damages often temperature and rainfall, is realized between particularly difficult to quantify (Kosztarab, 1990). November (2009) and 2010, on tow orchards Among this species L. beckii is a dangerous (orange: Citrus sinensis and lemon: Citrus limon, devastating for citrus fruits. Its attacks are stronger tree) who has surface of 1 hectare, located in the in on leaves, young twigs and fruits. In particularly the Rouiba station department of Algiers (18m of young infested fruits who undergo looses of weigh altitude). Both of them in the climatic subhumid floor and calibre and there quality is affected and they can (36°44’21’’N - 3°17’07’’E) with a cold winter even fall in case of premature attack. Schvester (minimum temperature: 8, 21°C to 20,48°C) and hot (1959) considers that the plant host intervenes as a summer (maximum temperature: 16,04°C to real ecological factor, which the action stacked with 33,83°C). The annual rainfall varies between zero to climatic factors. MacArthur (1972) indicates that there 13,8mm (Anonymous, 2011-2012). The plots of are narrow relations between the quality and the citrus fruits land chosen and delimited extend over diversity of the available food resources, and the 10 rows. The sample of tow every cardinal direction abundance and the distribution of the animal leaves and in the center of the tree, twice a month communities. (at every fifteen days) was made on the average

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crown of a tree at every row, chosen at random. 10 preponderant, whatever the variety of citrus fruits samples (100 leaves) are recuperated in plastic bags studied. The number of empty puparia is the most and treated in the laboratory. The identification and abundant (Fig.1) and represents the hatched adult enumeration of the various evaluative stages (larva, male mealybug, which shows that reproductive nymphs, adult females, empty puparias of males) are activity is ensured by their intervention. The realized on both superior and lower foliar faces. The abundance fluctuations of the cochineal insect are temperature and average rainfall of months are not identical from habitat to the other and from the collected during all the year. seasonal period to the other, but the temporally The results are analysed by the statistical analysis progression is the same on tow host citrus trees. (analysis of the variance by GLM test) by the software From September to marsh, we attend an increase SYSTAT, the worm. 12, 2009 and the differences of the populations with a maximal activity in July, were considered significant at p= 5 %. particularly on orange. In our case, the L. beckii study expressed three generations in the area of RESULTS Mitidja: autumnal, spring and the most important aestival generation. (fig.1c). - Influence of the host plant on the dynamique of de L. beckii The analysis of variance made by the test GLM (General Linear Model) on the abundances variation of The global population of L. beckii is the most different stages in their environment showed that the important on orange (57,99%) than on lemon host plant have a highly significant effect (p= 0,000) (42,006%), but the difference is not significant (fig. (fig. 1d). Therefore, the plant is an ecologic factor that is 1a,1b). Besides, the empty puparias, the first larva responsible for the change in pest abundance. stage and the adult female are the most

Fig. 1. Variation of populations global abundances of L.beckii on orange and lemon.

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The variation of the different biologic stages significant (L1 (p= 0,03) and nymphs (p= 0,007)) depended significantly of the host plant (p= 0,015) and (tab. 1). Thus, L. beckii appears at the same time on very significantly of the annual period (p= 0,000). The both plant species and don’t make choice between most favourable development period for all lemon and orange. evolutionary stages is the month of July (fig. 2a and 2b). We noticed that temporal positive correlation is The analysis of principal correspondences (ACP) very pronounced between the appearance and the show 44,82% and 24,53% of the information abundance of adult males and females of L.beckii contributions on the axis 1 and axis 2 ,respectively, on orange (p= 0, 0003), and on lemon (p= 0, 0022) with 4 representative envelopes: On limon tree, L1, (fig. 2). What assure the degree of the reproductive L2, nymphs and males puparias are situated on activity by the males intervention according there Highly-rated positive axis 1 and Highly-rated abundances. We can put the hypothesis that the part negative axis 2, observed at Jun, November, august of parteno-genetic reproduction of female is non and December (2009). On orange, the adult females, existent. In July, the empty puparias are at their L1, L2 and nymphs are situated on positive Highly- maximum on host plants, favouring an explosion of rated of the axis 2 and 1. These stages are observed amply population in summer. at May, July and September (2010). The adult females on lemon are situated on positive Highly- The values obtained frome the differences between the rated of the axis 2 and axis 1 observed at March, various larval and nymphal stage barycenters on lemon October, February and January. The period of males’ and orange trees show that the intervals are induced within flight on orange is situated on the negative Highly- a few days, less than one week. What confirms that there rated of axis 1 and 2. They are observed in April. is no temporal gap between larval and numphal (fig.3) populations according to the value of “lag= zero” (analyse of cross correlation). The associated probability to the difference installation of cochineal is

Fig. 2. Variation of population abundances of larva and adult of L. beckii on orange and lemon.

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The ombrothermic diagram of within period 2009 to lemon tree. This is consistent with the results of 2010 (National service of the meteorology, Dar El Helmy (1975), who brought reported that July is the Beda), shows that the dry period spreads from May most suited period for the chemical control to L. to October in Algeria. During this period, L. beckii beckii. On the other hand, Rawly, and al., (1976) develops in a remarkable way during all these indicated that July and October are the best moments evolutionary stages. The varying temperature to control this insect on orange tree in Egypt. The between (20°C and 29°C) seems a limiting factor for temperatures and the rainfalls seem to have a this infestation that is clearly slowed down in remarkable effect on the growth of populations on temperatures lower than 20 C °. both plants hosts. The high temperatures (≤29,5°C ) and the low rainfalls (≤35,8mm ) accelerate the DISCUSSION development of L. beckii on citrus, what it was observed by Fabres (1981), who motioned that this insect scale grow at temperature of 30°C. Thus, it is A difference of the abundances between the populations on the orange and lemon tree is the species which develops better during the hot and observed at all the evolutionary stages of L. beckii. It dry or less wet seasons. It is the reason why L. beckii is very remarkable at larval stages (L1) and adults meets much more in the Mediterranean regions (Hall, (empty puparias of males and adult female). on 1924). Contrary, the temporal distribution is similar. According to Fabres (1981), the parthenogenesis CONCLUSION does not exist for. L. beckii. So, we can thus confirm that, the type of reproduction in sexual supported by This study has allows to us a good knowledge of the abundance of flight males and females especially L.beckii biocenose and the interrelations between its in summer. The number of L. beckii generations in ecological components. The latter help us to plan a Algeria on orange and lemon tree is three mechanism of the regulation of the infestation level generations. This result is consistent with that obtained according to the habitat environment (host plant and by Salama (1962), Hafez and Salama (1969), Amin (1970) climatic conditions) that constitutes a spatiotemporal and Habib and al. (1971) in Egypt who motioned 3 to 4 limiting factor for its development. The orange tree annual generations. Contrary, El-Amir and al., (2012) offers a weakly better nutrition for the cochineal indicated 4 generations on Citrus aurantium. This which can be verified by a nutritional study based on differences it depending on the host plant and the the quantitative and qualitative analysis of energetic geographical location. The reproductive activity of L. resources. This Diaspididae develops three annual beckii in Algeria is very remarkable in summer (July), generations on both plants hosts: the most important convenient period to recommend a chemical or are the one of the summer period, followed by the biological control at the same moment on orange and spring and the autumnal that is low. These results are 50

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allows us to envisage a control programme, chemical Habib, A.; Salama, H.S. and Amin, A.H. (1971) -Population against larva (L1), biological against males (by sexual studies on scale insects infesting citrus trees in Egypt. pheromone) and adult female (by parasite and Zeit. Angew. Entomol., 69(3): 318-330. predator), during the same period, which is July, on Hadj Sahraoui., (2006) -Perspectives de développement both environments agrumicoles habitat. des agrumes. I.T.F.F.V., Alger, 8 p. Hafez, M. and Salama, H.S. (1969) -Biology of the citrus BIBLIOGRAPHIE purple scale, Lepidosaphes beckii Newm., in Egypt (Hemiptera-Homoptera: Coccoidea). Bull. Soc. Entoml. Amin, A.H. (1970) -Studies on the population dynamics of Egypte., 53p: 517-532. certain scale insect in relation to their control. Ph.D. Thesis, Fac. Agric., Ain-Shams Univ., Egypt, 180 pp. Helmy, E.I. (1975) -Evaluation of certain synthesis insecticides for the control of scale insects in A.R.E. Anonyme,(2009) -Relevés climatologiques (2009-2010). M.Sc. Thesis, Fac. Agric., Ain-Shams Univ., Egypt, Manuscrit I.T.A.F., V., Boufarik, 18p. 118 pp. Blondel L., (1959) -La culture des agrumes en Algérie. Bull. Kosztarab M., (1990) -Economic importance chap. 31. Station expérimentale d’arboriculture de Boufarik, 176, Armored scale insects as pests in: d. Rosen (Ed). 25 p. Armored scale insects: their biology, natural enemies and control. Word Group Pests, Vol. UB, Elsevier, Dajos R., (1969) -Précis d’écologie. Ed. Dunod. Paris, 357 Amsterdam, 688 p: 307-311. p. Loussert, 1985 -Les agrumes. Ed. J. B. Ballière, Paris, Dreux P., (1980) -Précis d’écologie. Ed. Presse. Univ. 138p. France, Paris, Coll. « Le biologiste », 231p.Egypt. Ph.D. Thesis, Fac. Agric., Ain- shams Univ., Egypt. 170 pp. MacArthur, R. (1972) -Geographical ecology. Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J.T. Bauer and A. T. El-Amir, S.M. (2002) -Environmental safe approaches for Peterson. 269 pp. controlling some scale insects infesting olive trees in new reclaimed areas. M. Sc. Thesis, Institute of Rawhy, S.H.; Zidan, Z.H.; Abul-Ghar, M.R. and Helmy, Environmental Studies and Research, Ain-Shams Univ., E.I. (1976): Biological studies on the purple scale, 84 pp. Lepidosaphes beckii (New.) at Qalyubia. Agric. Res. Review., 54(1): 171-175. El-Amir, S.M.; Abou-Setta, M.M.; Abd El-Ghaffar, M.M.; Ibrahim, I.L. and Mahmoud,G.H., (2012) -Abundance Salama, H.S. (1962) -Ecological, biological and behavioral and generation determination of Lepidosaphes beckii studies on the sugar cane mealy bug Saccharicoccus (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) on sour orange at Qalubyia sacchari CKLL. and the citrus purple scale, Governorate. Egypt. cad. J. Biolog. Sci., 5(3): 79 -87. Lepidosaphes beckii (Newman). Ph.D. Thesis, Fac. 9p. Sci., Cairo Univ., Egypt. Abres G., (1981) - Analyse structurelle et fonctionnelle Schvester, D. 1959. Les divers modes d'intervention des comparative de la biocœnose d’un homoptère facteurs climatiques dans la limitation des populations (Lepidosaphes beckii, Diaspididae) dans deux types des scolytides xylophages, d'après des études sur d’habitat agrumicole de la nouvelle Calédonie. Cah. Scolytus (Ruguloscolytus) rugulosus Muller 1818. ORSTOM, Ser, Biot., 44 p : 43-47. International Congress of Crop Protection, Proceedings 4:769-772.