EFFECT OF DIFFERENT TREE CARDINAL DIRECTIONS, TREE CORE AND LEAF SURFACES OF MANGO TREES ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF Icerya seychellarum (WESTWOOD) (HOMOPTERA, MARGARODIDE).

Abdel Aleem,, R. Y.

doi:10.21608/jppp.2008.217968

EFFECT OF DIFFERENT TREE CARDINAL DIRECTIONS, TREE CORE AND LEAF SURFACES OF MANGO TREES ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF Icerya seychellarum (WESTWOOD) (HOMOPTERA, MARGARODIDE).

Document Type : Original Article

Author

R. Y. Abdel Aleem,

Department of Economic Entomology and Pesticides, Fac. of Agric. Cairo univ. Giza- Egypt

10.21608/jppp.2008.217968

Abstract

The mealy-bug insect I seycellarum is a major insect pest which attacks mango trees and some ornamental plants in Egypt. Field investigation of the two successive years (2005-2006) showed that, tree core is the most favorable zone for insect population. The over all mean was 17.0 and 12.9 individuals / leaf during 2005 and 2006 respectively, while the lowest means were 10.6 and 9-6 individuals / leaf during 2005 and 2006, respectively. There were insignificant differences between directions, but highly significant differences between tree core and all tree directions. Highly significant differences between insect population averages of seasons within each direction. Autumn and Summer were the most favorable seasons for the insect activities and distribution, while Spring and Winter had the lowest population, Seasons could be arranged dissentingly in order to magnitude as follows: Autumn, Summer, Spring and Winter. Means of respective seasons were 24.2 , 13.1, 9.1 and 7.5 individuals / leaf in 2005 versus 15.7 , 14, 9.5 and 6.1 individuals / leaf in 2006. the insect prefer the lower leaf surface over the upper one (99.04%)