Population Dynamic of the Long-Tailed
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Assiut J. of Agric. Sci., 42 No.(5) (143-164) Population Dynamic of the Long-tailed Mealybug, Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni-Tozzetti) Infest- ing the Ornamental Plant, Acalypha marginata Green, under Assiut governorate conditions. Ghada,S.Mohamed1; Abou-Ghadir,M.F.2; Abou- Elhagag,G.H.2 and Gamal H. Sewify3 1Dept. of plant protec., Fac. Agric., South Valley Univ. 2Dept. of plant protec., Fac. Agric., Assiut Univ. 3Dept. of plant protec., Fac. Agric., Cairo Univ. Abstract centages of parasitism ranged The shrubs of ornamental from 0.01 in January to 0.06% in plant were inspected as host of March and 0.007 to 0.05% in the the studied pest. The present same months during the first and study was carried out in the Ag- the second season of study. The riculture Experimental Station of seasonal abundance of this para- the Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut sitoid species and the effect of university, during two successive weather elements on its popula- seasons of 2008/2009 and tion were also studied. 2009/2010. Results of both sea- Introduction sons showed that the highest The ornamental plant, Aca- weekly population count of the lypha marginata is a common mealybug, Pesudococcus long- shrub planted for decoration ispinus (Targioni-Tozzetti) was along the streets. This plant is found during the 2rd half of Au- susceptible to the mealybug in- gust. The highest percentage of festation that cause a serious mal- the total monthly mean count was formation to its leaves. The also recorded during August common name of the mealy bugs (30% out of the total year is derived from the mealy wax count).The pest has four genera- secretion that usually covers their tions in each of the tow studied bodies (Kosztarab, 1996). Mea- seasons. The periods of these lybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococci- generations were also deter- dae) are small, soft-bodied plant mined. The highest monthly sap-sucking insect that constitute variation rate (M.V.R) value was the second largest family of scale achieved during April and May insects. More than 2,000 de- of both seasons. The effect of scribed species and ca. 290 gen- some biotic and a biotic factors era are recorded (Downie and influencing the population of the Gullan, 2004 ; Ben-Dov, 2006). long-tailed mealybug were stud- Mealybugs are severe agricul- ied. One parasitoid species was tural pests. According to Miller only found (Coccidoxenoides et al. (2002), 158 species of mea- perminutus Girault) and it’s the lybugs are recognized as pests first record in Egypt. The per- worldwide. The most notorious Referees: Prof.Dr. Prof.Dr. Mohamed et al. 20111 species are polyphagous and surveyed the pest in different have become serious pests of localities and on different horti- different crops under different cultural hosts (Geiger et al., environments. Many of them are 2001; Mojian Hua, 2003; Mari et cosmopolitan species belonging al., 2007; Souza et al., 2008; Cu- to the genera Pseudococcus and lik et al., 2009 and Charles et al., Planococcus. Polyphagous mea- 2010). lybugs pose a serious threat be- The present work was aimed cause of their tendency to adopt to study and clarify some eco- new host plants easily. The dam- logical aspects of P. longispinus age caused by mealybugs is under Assiut district conditions. linked to sap uptake as a plant Materials and methods sap suckers, honeydew secretion The field study was carried which associated sooty mold de- out in the Agriculture Experi- velopment, toxin injection and mental station of the faculty of virus transmission, although the Agriculture, Assiut university, presence of the insects may itself during two successive seasons of lead to economic losses 2008/2009 and 2009/2010. The (McKenzie, 1967; Panis, 1969; normal agricultural practices Franco et al., 2000; Gullan and were performed and no insecti- Martin, 2003).High densities or cides were used during the period annually repeated infestations form October, 2008 to October, can even kill perennial plants 2010. Ten plants of Acalypha (Hodges and Hodges, 2004; were chosen randomly on suc- Walton et al., 2004 and 2006). cessive weeks. Each plant was Indirect damage can result from divided into three levels (bottom, trophic interactions between middle and top level) .From each mealybugs and other insect pests plant level, five leaves were that are attracted by honeydew, picked up randomly and kept in such as Lepidoptera (Silva and polyethylene bag, then trans- Mexia, 1999; Franco et al., 2000 ferred to the laboratory for ex- and Mittler and Douglas, 2003). amination .The both surfaces of Several mealybug species are plant leaves (upper and lower vectors of viral diseases of vari- surface) were examined under a ous crops. In such cases, mealy- stereomicroscope. The numbers bugs may be economic pests of nymphs and adults of each even at low densities. Work on inspected date were recorded. the long-tailed mealybug species To calculate the age structure is very limited. A study of the per sample, the mean number of available literature showed that each stage (Adult) was divided most work is concentrate on the by the total and multiplied by survey. When some one surveyed 100. This way gave each stage the pests of any host plant, indi- (Adult) a percent proportion of cates that the pest was within the the total per sample regardless surveyed insects. Many authors the total number of insects pre- ١٤٤ Assiut J. of Agric. Sci., 42 No.(5) (143-164) sents (i.e. population density). and among the two seasons, the Insect generation is defined, as weekly counts were accumulated the time required to complete its monthly. These monthly counts life cycle. The number and dura- were estimated in percentages tion of the annual generations of out of the year total. the pest, which were estimated The monthly variation rate depending on the adult numbers (MVR) of population density of of the insect weekly count, were each studied insect was calcu- worked out according to Aude- lated according the following mard and Milaire (1975) formula. formula prescribed by Abdel- To facilate the comparisons Fattah et al., 1978 and Serag-El- within the each studied season Din, 1998: Av. count of nymphs at a month MVR Av. count given at the prec. month The meteorological data of Dr. A. Raouf, Biological Control temperature and relative humid- Research Department, Plant Pro- ity were recorded at each inspec- tection Institute, Ministry of Ag- tion date. Records were obtained riculture, Egypt, for identifica- from the Meteorological Station tion. located at the University of As- During the weekly exami- siut Experimental Farm. nation of the plant leaves for To identify the pest para- counting the alive insects, the sitoid, each plant sample (15 numbers of the dead insects as a leaves) form each plant (10 result of parasitoids were also plants), after the examination of counted (the bodies of these dead plant leaves in the laboratory for insects have a minute holes as a counting the nymphs and adults result of emerging parasitoids). of the pest. Then, the leaves were The meaning of "Percent stored in one – pound glass Jar Parasitism" (%PA) in studies of (10 glass jars weekly). The jar insect parasitoids was described was furnished with a suitable disc by Van Driesche (1983) and cal- of filter paper on its bottom to culated as follows: EMP LP absorb condensed humidity. Jars %PA were covered with a piece of EMP LP UMH polyethylene with minute holes Where EMP = emerged parasi- held by means of rubber band. toids, LP = all live parasitoids Apiece of cotton-wool soaked in and UMH = unparasitized mea- 10% sucrose solution was placed lybug hosts. To simplify the for- in a small plastic container and mula EMP + LP= total parasi- placed inside the jar for feeding tized hosts, EMP + LP + UMH= the emerged parasitoides. The total mealybug hosts. emerged parasitoids were then The relationships between collected and kept in a well- the population size of each insect ventilated small tubes containing species (The pest and its parasi- alcohol 70% and transferred to toid) and the meteorological fac- ١٤٥ Mohamed et al. 20111 tors were studied by using multi- monthly mean count ranged from ple regression analysis. 0.18 to 1.73 % (of the total year Results and Discussion count). 1. Seasonal abundance: 1.2. 2009/2010 season: Data presented in Table1 Data in Table 1 show the show the weekly population population fluctuations of the counts of the long-tailed mealy- pest on Acalypha leaves during bug (nymphs and adults) on Aca- the 2nd season. The population of lypha leaves during both seasons the insect started with 5457 and of 2008/2009 and 2009/2010. 2046 individuals/150 leaves 1.1. 2008/2009 season: (nymphs and adults), during the Data in Table 1 show that, 1st week of October. Then, the the pest population counts pest population showed a slightly (nymphs and adults) started with gradual decreased till reaching its 3080 nymphs and 926 adults lowest level during the last week /150 leaves, on the 2nd week of of January and the 1st week of October. The insect population February (9 and 17 individu- was then very slightly increased als/150 leaves for nymphs and till the end of October. After that adults). Then, the insect popula- the long-tailed mealybug popula- tion increased very slightly and tion slightly decreased to reach gradually in fluctuated manner its lowest numbers during the 1st during the rest of February and week of March, since 10 and 59 March. After that, the long-tailed individuals/150 leaves for mealybug population increased nymphs and adults were re- gradually to reach its highest corded. Then, the pest population level during the 2nd and the 3rd increased gradually to reach its week of August (4020 and 16575 highest level during the last week individuals/150 leaves for adults of August for nymphs (18094 and nymphs).Then, the pest individuals/150 leaves), and dur- population decreased very ing the 1st week of September for slightly and gradually till the end adults (4585 individuals/150 of the season.