Seasonal Abundance Of The Fig Soft Scale, Ceroplastis rusci Linnaeus (Homoptera: Coccidae) and its Parasitoids in Middle Egypt

• Morsi, G. A. and Mahmoud, S. F.
• Plant Protection Res. Institute, Agric. Res. Center, Giza, Egypt.

Abstract

The fig soft scale, Ceroplastis rusci (L.), is considered one of the most serious scale insects attacking guava, citrus, mango, grape, fig, Abena caffra, Dalbergia sissoo, Schinus terebinthifolius, Nerium oleander and other ornamental plants. Seasonal abundance and parasitism rate on the fig soft scale insect in the leaves of guava at Beni-Suif Governorate, middle-Egypt was determined. This study was carried out from May, 2001 to April, 2003. The average biweekly number/ leaf fluctuated throughout the two seasons of infestation with two annual peaks of abundance. In the first season 3 peaks occurred by mid-June, mid-October and mid-January, while 2 peaks were recorded by mid-July and mid-November in the second 2002. The parasitoid species; Metaphycus helvolus (Compere), M. zebratus (Mercit), Habrolepis sp., Scutellista cyanea (Motsch.), Microtyres flavus (How.), Microtyres sp., Tetrastichus ceroplastae (Girault) Marietta exitiosa Compare and Marietta sp., were found parasitizing C. rusci at Beni-Suif Governorate. Natural mortality rates caused by the above-mentioned parasitoid species were estimated.