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Appearance of Pomegranate Butterfly Deudorix livia Klug (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) on Growth Stages of Different Host Plants and Its Fluctuation on Pomegranate Manfaloty Cultivar in Assiut Governorate, Northern Upper Egypt

Research Authors
Farouk A. Abdel- Galil, Sara E. Mousa, Gaber H. Abo El-haggag, Mohammed Allam, and Ahmed M.M. Ahmed
Research Abstract

Incidence of mature and immature stages of pomegranate butterfly, Deudorix livia Klug (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) was studied regarding to some host plants phenology during growth stages. The hosts are sweet acacia, Acacia farnesiana L., and pomegranate, Punica granatum L.. Besides, study its eggs population fluctuation on Manfaloty pomegranate cultivar during 2020 and 2021 under climatic factors [Maximum (MaxT) and Minimum (MinT) Temp. in Celsius degree (°C), Relative humidity (RH %), and Wind Speed (km/hr.)]. The sweet acacia was the most favourable for D. livia and represented the main host plant during the absence of targeted stage of other host plants. Eggs and adults were first observed after 2 and 7 weeks from fruit setting on sweet acacia; respectively in 2020 and 2021. On pomegranate the previous stages appeared after 3 weeks of fruit formation in both seasons. October was the best month for egg deposition in both seasons, because egg averages highly increased and this was the damaging time for pomegranate fruits. The populations of eggs showed three peaks in 2020 and two in 2021. The correlation coefficient between average numbers of eggs and maximum wind speed was negative and highly significant (r= -0.36776, P= <.0001) in 2020, meanwhile in 2021 still negative with non-significant effect (r= -0.10447, P= 0.1410). In conclusion, determine pest peaks is important to establish control program before peaks occurrence or after infestation reaches to economic threshold levels. This will be important to directed control strategies to prevent pest from laying eggs on pomegranate fruits.

Research Date
Research Department
Research Journal
Assiut Journal of Agricultural Sciences
Research Member
Research Vol
54
Research Website
https://ajas.journals.ekb.eg/article_286876.html
Research Year
2023
Research Pages
174-188