Biodiversity and Seasonal abundance of Mites Associated with Two Varieties of Date Palm in Giza and Sohag Governorates, Egypt

Document Type : Original research articles

Authors

Plant Protection Research. Institute , ARC., Giza, Egypt

Abstract

A large number of  mites are  known  associated  with different  varieties of date  palm throughout  the  world.  Their distributional pattern is,  however  not  constant  everywhere,  which  varies  according  to  climatic  factors.  These mite species  could  be either Phytophagous,  Parasitic,  Predators, Phoresy  in  addition  to Suprophagous and  Fungivorous species'. In  this  study  37  mite species representing  31 genera,  17  families,  three Sub-orders,  Actinedida;  Gamasida  and Acaridida  were  recorded.  These  mite  species were  classified  according  to  their feeding  habits into  four  categories;  plant feeders  of  both  leaves  and fruits,  parasitic  and predaceous  that  play  role  as  bioconirol  agents of different insect  and mite pests and fungivorous  as  well as those  of uncertain  feeding  behavior.  The population  fluctuation  of the phytophagous mites;  Eutetranychus  orientalisOligonychus  afrasiaticus (Tetranychidae); Raoiella indica; Phyllotetranychus  aegyptiacas  Sayed  (Tenuipalpidae)  on  Sewi variety was  higher than  on  Zaghlol variety  as well as  in Giza than in  Sohag  during  the  two  seasons,  2010-and 2011.  The  population  of predaceous and parasitic mites  associated with  different  pests infesting  date palm  increased as  well  as  the  population  of  pests increased.  Therefore, the  biocontrol agents  suppress  the  populations  of  different  pests  in  both  varieties  of date  palm in the  two  localities.

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