Medicago Sativa L.) from Two Egyptian Western Desert Oases
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control, 25(2), 2015, 471-477 Ichneumonidae Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera) Diversity in Alfalfa Fields (Medicago sativa L.) From Two Egyptian Western Desert Oases Neveen S. Gadallah*; U. M. Abu El-Ghiet***; Y. A. Edmardash* and F. J. Peris-Felipo**** *Entomology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Egypt, [email protected]. **Plant Protection Department, Desert Research Center, Mataria, Cairo, Egypt. ***Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Jazan University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ****Bleichestrasse 15, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland. (Received: September 13, 2015 and Accepted: November 25, 2015) ABSTRACT Diversity of Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) was studied in alfalfa fields (Medicago sativa L.) in two Egyptian Oases: Bahariya and Farafra. Sampling was carried out from January 2013 to December 2014. A total of 206 specimens belong to 8 subfamilies, 14 genera and 24 species was collected. Seven species were recorded for the first time for Egypt: Barylypa bipartita Morley, 1913; Bathyplectes exiguus (Gravenhorst, 1829); Campoletis chloridae Uchida, 1957; Diadegma insulare (Cresson, 1865); Dichrogaster saharator (Aubert, 1964); Exochus semilividus Vollenhoven, 1875 and Pimpla wilchristi Fitton, Shaw & Gauld, 1988. Also, eleven species were newly recorded in association with alfalfa: Anomalon venustulum (Tosquinet, 1896); Barylypa pallida (Gravenhorst, 1829); Bathyplectes exiguus (Gravenhorst, 1829); Campolites chloridae Uchida, 1957; Casinaria trochanterator Aubert, 1960; Diadegma insulare (Cresson, 1865); Dichrogaster aestivalis (Gravenhorst, 1829); Exochus semilividus Vollenhoven, 1875; Enicospilus cruciator Viktorov, 1957 and Pimpla wilchristi Fitton, Shaw & Gauld, 1988. Key words: Ichneumonidae, diversity, alfalfa fields, new records, Oasis, Egypt. INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS Ichneumonidae Latreille, 1802 is the largest Study Area family within Hymenoptera, with approximately The Western Desert of Egypt occupies most of the 60,000 species worldwide (Townes, 1969 and Sime land west of the Nile Valley. It covers an area of & Brower, 1998). However, Gauld (2000) and Gauld 680,000 Km2 (Sampsell, 2003), thus accounting about et al. (2002) estimated the total global species- two thirds of Egyptian land. Four oases: Bahariya, richness more than 100,000 species after the Farafra, Dakhla and Kharga are extended from the exploration of recent collections. Recently, Bennett Nile Valley in the east to the Libyan border in the (2009) stated that Ichneumonidae represents about west, which lie on “Great Oasis Circle”. 1.4% of all insects and about 2.3% of all described insects. This family plays an important role as agents The oases selected were Bahariya and Farafra of biological control in regulation of a wide range of (Fig. 1). Bahariya Oasis (27º48’00’’N 28º35’00’’E) holometabolous insects belong to Coleoptera, is located about 360 km southwest of Cairo and 180 Diptera, Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera orders km west of the Nile Valley. This Oasis is an oval- (Townes, 1971; Wahl, 1993; Gauld et al., 2002; shaped depression with a maximum length and width Finch, 2005 and Sugonyaev, 2006). Despite of the of about 94 km and 42 km, respectively. Sand is importance of these efficient parasitoids in agro- covering the tracts and small dunes are distributed ecosystems, their diversity was not sufficiently around the crop. This topography provides a large studied in alfalfa fields, except few studies carried out number of dark hills within the depression. The in Iran (Barahoei et al., 2014 and Ghahari & Jussila, climatic conditions are desertic, with annual average 2015). temperature of 22.3ºC and annual rainfall average about 4 mm. Farafra Oasis (27º20’00’’N28º59’00’’E) Alfalfa, Medicago sativa L., is one of the most is located about 550 km in the southwest of Cairo and important legumes used in agriculture as forage for around 200 km southwest of Bahariya Oasis. It is a cattle throughout the world. It has the highest feeding triangular-shaped depression in the Western Desert. value of all common hay crops (Hanson et al., 1988 The climatic conditions are desertic, with annual and Parker & Parker, 2003). Several insect pests average temperature of 21.6ºC and annual rainfall damage this crop and Ichneumonidae has an effective average of 2 mm (Fakhry, 1974 and Zagrzejewska role as biocontrol agents (Tawfik et al., 1976). Fiedorowicz, 2003). The present work represents a faunistic catalogue Abbreviations of Ichneumonidae recorded in two desert oases from Abbreviations used for the sites inside each oasis Western Egypt. alphabetically: AG: Agoz-Gheit Baeid, AM: Abo 472 Fig. (1): Map of Egypt showing the studied sites in Bahariya and Farafra Oases, Egypt. Minqar, B5: Beir 5, GF: Al-Gafara, GL: Gelgam, GR: The subfamily Diplazontinae was the most Garad, K3: Kassa 3, MN: Mandisha-Ghaba, QU: AL- abundant (85 specimens (41.3%)), represented only Quser-Beir abo Eagela, SH: Shimenara (Fig. 1). by one species, Diplazon laetatorius. The second most abundant subfamily was Campopleginae (50 Sample collection and identifications specimens (24.3%)), followed by Pimplinae (32 Specimens were collected from 10 sites: five from specimens (15.5%)) represented by only one species, Bahariya and five from Farafra, using sweeping nets. Pimpla wilchristi. Samples were carried out monthly from January 2013 to December 2014. Specimens were killed using ethyl Subfamily Anomaloninae acetate and preserved at 20°C for identification. Once separated, the specimens were determined by Anomalon cruentatum (Geoffroy, 1785) subfamily keys of Broad (2011). Subsequently, Material examined: 1♀, Egypt, Farafra Oasis, Beir genera and species were determined by Aubert (1966) 5, swept on Medicago sativa L., 5.iii.2013 (Leg. Abu for Temelucha Förster 1869 genus; Klopfstein (2014) El-Ghiet); 1♀, same locality and data but, 5.v.2013; for Diplazontinae Viereck, 1918 subfamily; Tolkanitz 3♀, Gelgam, 30.vii.2013; 3♀, Garad, xi.2013 (Leg. (2007) for Exochus Gravenhorst, 1829 genus; Fitton Abu El-Ghiet); 2♀, Egypt, Bahariya Oasis, et al. (1988) for Pimpla Fabricius, 1804 genus; Mandisha-Ghaba, swept on Medicago sativa L., v. Townes (1970a) for Campopleginae Förster, 1869 2013 (leg. Abu El-Ghiet). subfamily; Townes (1970b) for Cryptinae Kirby, Host records: This species has been recorded as a 1837 subfamily and Viktorov (1957) for Enicospilus parasitoid of Gonocephalum rusticum (Olivier, 1811) Stephens, 1835 genus. Also, many species were (Cleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Agrotis ipsilon checked by the material deposited in the Natural (Hufnagel, 1766), Cerura palestinensis Bartel, History Museum, London (BMNH). Nomenclature Ptilodon capucina (L., 1758) (Lepidoptera, and classification are based on Yu et al. (2012). Noctuidae) (Yu et al., 2012). Specimens collected are deposited in the Efflatoun bey Collection (Entomology Department, Faculty of General distribution: Afghanistan, Austria, Science, Cairo University) (CUE). Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech republic, Egypt, Finland, RESULTS AND DISCUSSION France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea, During the sampling period, 206 ichneumonid Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, specimens were collected, distributed in 8 Mongolia, Myanmar, Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, subfamilies, 14 genera and 24 species: Anomaloninae Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sri Lanka, (7), Campopleginae (6), Cremastinae (1), Cryptinae Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, (4), Diplazontinae (1), Metopiinae (3), Ophioninae Turkmenistan, Ukraine, UK, Uzbekistan, former (1) and Pimplinae (1). List of collected species is Yugoslavia (Yu et al., 2012). given above. Species collected are listed below. Anomalon venustulum (Tosquinet, 1896) However, the specimen number analysis by Oasis Material examined: 1♀, Egypt, Farafra Oasis, Beir showed that 117 specimens (56.8%) were collected 5, swept on Medicago sativa L., v. 2013 (leg. Abu El- Ghiet). from Farafra, while only 89 specimens from Bahariya (43.2%) were sampled. Concerning of the number of Host records: Unknown. species, the most abundant was from Farafra (19 General distribution: Egypt, Uzbekistan (Yu et al., species), followed by Bahariya (14 species). 2012). 473 Remarks: Medicago sativa L. is a new host record Host records: In Kenya, it has been reported as for this species. larval-pupal parasitoid of Spodoptera exempta (Walker, 1856) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Anomalon sp. (www.cabi.org ). Material examined: 2♂, Egypt, Bahariya Oasis, Mandisha-Ghaba, swept on Medicago sativa L., General distribution: South Africa (Yu et al. 2012), iv.2013 (leg. Abu El-Ghiet). Egypt (new record). Barylypa amabilis (Tosquinet, 1900) Remarks: Medicago sativa L. is a new host record to Material examined: 1♀, Egypt, Bahariya Oasis, Al this species. Gafara, swept on Medicago sativa L., xi.2013 (leg. Abu El-Ghiet); 1♀, Egypt, Farafra Oasis, Garad, Barylypa pallida (Gravenhorst, 1829) swept on Medicago sativa L., xi.2013 (leg. Abu El- Material examined: 1♂, Egypt, Farafrah Oasis, Beir Ghiet). 5, swept on Medicago sativa L., 28.iii.2013 (leg. Abu Host records: This species has been reared from El-Ghiet). Agrotis segetum Denis-Schiffermüler, 1775, Host records: It has been reported as a parasitoid of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner, 1809), Heliothis Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel, 1766), Helicoverpa viriplaca (Hufnagel, 1766) and Spodoptera exigua armigera (Hübner, 1809), Lymantria dispar (L., (Hübner,