Survey and Population Fluctuations of Arthropod Pests and Predators in Sweet Potato at Nile Delta, Egypt

S., Hendawy A.; El-Fakharany, S. K.; Hegazy, F. H.; Samy, Mahmoud Abd El- Mageed

doi:10.21608/eajb.2017.12114

Survey and Population Fluctuations of Arthropod Pests and Predators in Sweet Potato at Nile Delta, Egypt

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Plant Protection Research Institute, Agric. Res. Center, Egypt

² Plant Protection Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Tanta University, Egypt

³ Plant Protection Research Institute, Agric. Res. Center, Egypt.

10.21608/eajb.2017.12114

Abstract

Experiments were carried out at El-Riad district, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate during two successive growing seasons (2015 and 2016) to study the survey and population fluctuations of arthropod pests, insect predators and spiders in sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas (L.) (Apis Cultivar). The investigation revealed the presence of 26 Arthropods; 16 as pests and 10 as predators. Bemisia tabaci Genn.,(Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) was the most occurring (41.51 & 45.37%) followed by Tetranychus sp., (Acarina: Tetranychidae) (18.74 and 15.39%), Empoasca spp., (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) (13.24 & 14.15%), Agrius convolvuli (L.), (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) (7.12 & 6.18%), Nezara viridula (L), (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) (6.90 & 6.09%) and Eysarcoris ventralis (Westwood), (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) (6.27 & 5.66 %), in 2015 and 2016 season, respectively. The insect pests; Scantius aegyptius (L.), Gryllus domesticus L., (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) and Aiolopus strepens (Latreille), ( Orthoptera: Acrididae) exhibited the least population densities. Spiders were the most occurring predators (49.30 & 43.27%) followed by coccinellids (34.43 & 32.66%) and Chrysoperla carnea Steph., (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) (11.36 & 11.80%), in 2015 and 2016 season, respectively), the lowest predatory densities were those of Eupeodes corollae (F.), (Diptera: Syrphidae) (0.95 & 0.81%) in 2015 and 2016 season, respectively. The surveyed spiders by different sampling techniques were found belonging to 13 families; Araneidae, Clubionidae, Dictynidae , Dysderidae, Eutichuridae, Gnaphosidae, Linyphiidae, Lycosidae, Philodromidae, Salticidae, Tetragnathidae, Theridiidae and Thomisidae, with araneid and lycosid being the most abundant. Pitfall traps proved to Coccinella undecimpunctata L. be the most efficient in collecting spiders, followed by sweep net, and hand catch. Predators were detected on sweet potato plants by mid or late June. The population density of Stethorus gilvifrons (Mulsant) was quite low and then increased gradually to exhibit its peak by the first week of August while, C. carnea adults peaked by the first week of September. The peak of C. undecimpunctata adult occurred on June 23 rd. Spiders recorded peaks by late June in 2015 and late July in 2016.

Keywords