ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON PARLATORIA ZIZIPHI (LUCAS) INFESTING NAVEL ORANGE TREES IN MENOUFIA GOVERNORATE, EGYPT

Ecological studies were carried out on the Parlatoria black scale, Parlatoria ziziphi (Lucas) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) and its associated parasitoid on navel orange trees at Faculty of Agriculture farm in Shebin El-Kom, Menoufia Governorate, Egypt during two successive years from June 2015 until May 2017. The seasonal abundance and activity periods of different stages of P. ziziphi and its associated parasitoid on navel orange trees and the effects of some weather factors on both insect and parasitoid were considered. The obtained results revealed that the total numbers of alive stages had two peaks of activity during the first year (2015-2016) they took place at September and January. While, during the second year (2016-2017) the total number of alive stages showed one peak of activity there was in September. Aphytis sp. (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) was recorded as a parasitoid of P. ziziphi which appeared two peaks of parasitism during the first year (2015-2016) in November and May. While, during the second year one peak was occurred in November. The total effects of some weather factors (Temp.oC, RH% and solar radiation) in this study on the total numbers of alive stages of P. ziziphi during the two successive years were 89.47 and 85.30%, successively. The obtained results revealed that P. ziziphi had two to three annual generations on navel orange trees, the generation durations were varied from three to five months.