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True Spiders Inhabiting Date Palm Varieties with Special Menoufia J. Plant Prot., Vol. 3 June (2018): 105 - 113 TRUE SPIDERS INHABITING DATE PALM VARIETIES WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THANATUS ALBINI REARED ON RED PALM WEEVIL, RHYNCHOPHORUS FERRUGINEUS IN EGYPT M. H. El-Erksousy(1), H. M. Heikal(2) and Amal I. Abozid(1) (1) Plant Protection Research Institute, Dokki, Giza, Egypt (2) Economic Entomology and Agricultural Zoology Dept., Fac. of Agric., Menoufia Univ., Shebin El-Kom, Egypt. Received: Mar. 29 , 2018 Accepted: Apr. 21 , 2018 ABSTRACT: This article was conducted to survey true spiders inhabiting three varieties of date palm in Egypt, as well as the biological aspects of Thanatus albini , Audouin, (Araneae: Philodromidae) on larvae of red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus ,Olivier, (Coleoptera : Curculionidae ) to know the possibility of control the larvae of red palm weevil by the spider T. albini as a biological control method. Date palm fruits of Samani variety was chosen from El-Beheira Governorate represented soft date variety and Siwi variety used as semi-dried variety from Fayoum Governorate while Apremy variety was the dried fruits variety tested from Aswan Governorate. Also, Menoufia, Cairo, Gharbia, Sharkia, Dimetta, Giza, Fayoum, Beni-Sweief, Menia and Aswan Governorates were chosen for study the abundance of spiders in stores. The date palm fruits were collected and identified during the study period from October 2016 till September 2017. The obtained results which conducted on different date palm varieties indicated that the soft and semi dried varieties harbored many of spiders and these spiders obviously decreased in the dried varieties. The obtained data indicated also that the most abundant families were Philodromidae and Salticidae on leaves and Miturgidae, Hersilidae and Lycosidae associated with fruits in the field and on stored date fruits. The biological aspects of the T. albini reared on the larvae of the red palm weevil, R. ferrugineus at 25 ± 2 ºC and 60 ± 5 % RH indicated that the life cycle of the tested spider was 169.87 ± 5.29 and 148.73 ± 3.37 days for female and male, respectively. The food consumption of both female and male was 491.83 ± 46.81 and 310.35 ± 47.76 larvae of the red palm at the same pervious conditions, respectively. Key words: true spiders, date palm, red weevil, biological control. INTRODUCTION 1985 , Coddington, 1986, Barrin and True spiders are fascinating animals Litsinger 1995). The Egyptian spider that appeared on the earth during the fauna still incompletely known due to carboniferous geological era, about 300 scarcity of studies on this group million years ago. Spiders live in different especially in Upper Egypt. habitats, in arid regions and wet lands, in In Egypt spiders are found to be low lands and mountains, in cold tundra predators on insects and mites, which and in hot equatorial regions, moreover cause damages for many agricultural spiders are predators at all. In Egypt crops. The predacious habits of spiders spiders are one of the more diverse are beneficial in the control of different arthropod taxa, ranking as seventh grade pests. In Egypt, Hussein, 1999, El- in global diversity, which makes them a Erksousy, 2000 studied the seasonal fascinating group to study (Agnew, et al., abundance and activity patterns of spider 105 M. H. El-Erksousy fauna in some vegetable fields in As for the biology of spiders, Foelix Menoufia, Nile Delta. Spiders belongs to (2011) stated a book on the biology of order : Araneae are among one of the spiders. In addition, Mohamed and Salam most rich groups of terrestrial animals, (2003) studied the biology of the true included more than 45,000 spider species spider, Thomisus spinifer Cambridge belonging to 114 families described so (Thomisidae: Araneae), El-Erksousy far and many thousands still awaiting (2003) studied the biology of the spider, discovery and description (World Spider Theridion egyptium Fawzy & El-Erksousy Catalog, 2015). In Egypt, there are 40 when reared on Spodoptera littoralis families belonging to 193 genera and 385 larvae. In addition, El-Erksousy, et al., species (El-Hennawy, 2002, 2006, 2010). 2006 determined the Biological aspects Furthermore, Ibrahim, et al., 2012 of the spider, Steatoda triangulosa, surveyed true spiders in wheat, cotton Walkckenare reared on larvae of and maize fields, in Egypt. Spodoptera littoralis ,Boisd. Furthermore, El-Erksousy, et al., 2002 examined the The date palm fruits contain high ratio use of the spider, Theridion egyptium of sugars more than 75 % of their weight, sp.n. as biological control agent against so it can be regard as the most important cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, fruits containing heat energy. Many recently, Obuid-Allah et al. (2015) important industries have been initiated conducted a study on the ecology of on them and are considered the main spiders at Qena governorate, Egypt, income of many inhabitants. Date palm furthermore, Ahmad and Heikal (2016) fruits produced in Egypt are considered studied the biological characteristics of the best date fruit varieties, which can be the spider, Theridion spinitarse O. exported to foreign markets provided that Pickard-Cambridge, 1876 (Araneae: the product qualities are most Theridiidae) in Egypt. satisfactory, being free of pest infestation and residues of pesticides. The date palm The red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus infested in any of its stages by many of ferrugineus (Olivier) (Coleoptera: pests (insects and mites) and diseases Curculionidae) is the most serious pest which make this crop is not desirable and to palm where its distribution was not quality and quantity satisfies. To registered around the world in about 39 avoid the hazard use of different countries and differs also inside the chemical pesticides, the recent same country. Females of the red palm researches allover the world oriented weevil emerged from its cocoon after toward using new approaches for saving completed it sexual organs looking for the date palm fruits from any harmful male and mates. Females lay its eggs on sources by using biological control the crevices, roots, offshoots, inside old methods including true spiders. emerged holes, and caves made by previous infestation. Female last about 2- Nowadays, more than 38432 true 3 months and placed from 150-250 eggs spider species belonging to 3542 genera singly. Female makes a small grubs by in 110 families were identified, Plantnich its snout in the tissue and laid its eggs (2004). In Egypt, El-Hennawy (2002) listed covered with cement material. The 385 different spider species in Egyptian resulting larvae of chewing grubs on the fauna belonging to 40 families. Survey of fiber ducts (larva doses not eat cellulose different spiders associated with date but feed on the sap) the sap come up and palm in the field and store in Egypt is fermentation happen due to very rare, Sallam and Yassin (2005) and contamination with micro organisms and Sallam et al., (2007). may come outside the tree by more larval True spiders inhabiting date palm varieties with special reference to ………... activity due to continuous feeding Cairo, Gharbia, Sharkia, Dimetta, Giza, cavities full of eating fibers and sap come Fayoum, Beni-Sweief, Menia and Aswan outside the tree with special smell and Governorates were chosen for study the brownish color. In the severally infested abundance of spiders in date palm trees the stem of palm shown empty and stores. fill with mixture of all stages and boring The different spiders were collected products. Mostly over lapping generation by handing sorting method using small happen inside one tree. If infestation sieves. The collected samples were happens in the head of the tree, toppling conducted monthly during the surveying occurred. When extensive infestation period. The surveyed spiders were kept happen, tree stated to be dray then the in glass vials containing ethyl alcohol 70 adult emergence occur and weevils % and droplets of glycerin. started to attack new trees (El-Sebay, 2000). 3- Identification of collected So, this article was conducted to spiders: study the survey and the abundance of The identification of the collected different spiders inhabiting three adult females of spiders were identified varieties of date palm in Egypt, as well as depending on the epigynal plate, but in the biological aspects of Thanatus albini case of males, the palp anatomy is an on larvae of red palm weevil, important factor for identification based Rhynchophorus ferrugineus in Egypt as on the systems of Petrunkevitch (1939), a safe method to control the larvae of the Kaston (1978) and El-Hennawy (1990). red palm weevil biologically by the spider T. albini (Audouin). 4- The biological aspects of the spider, Thanatus albini: MATERIALS AND METHODS The biological aspects of the spider, 1- Regions and date palm fruit Thanatus albini was studied at Plant varieties: Protection Research Institute Station, Date palm fruits of Samani variety was Qaluobia governorate on the larvae of the collected from El-Beheira Governorate red palm weevil, R. ferrugineus. Eggs of represented soft date variety and Siwi R. ferrugineus were collected and variety was used as semi-dried variety maintained at 25±2ºC and 60±5% RH until from Fayoum Governorate, while Apremy hatching, then the newly hatching larvae variety was the dried fruits variety which reared on semi artificial diets contains 1 was collected from Aswan Governorate. kg of sweat potatoes ,250 g carrot, 20 g glucose ,4 g agar ,250 g cereals, vitamin 2- Survey study: B (1mg) and vitamin D (0.2 mg), these The date palm fruits were collected components dissolved in half liter water during the study period from October (El-Sebay, et al., 2003) in special cages, 2016 till September 2017 in different leaves changed gradually when needed Egyptian habitats in field and store for to obtain the larvae of red palm weevil, survey and identification of the collected which used as a prey for T.
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