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Date Palm Host Preference of the Greater Date Moth, Arenipses sabella Hampson (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) at New Valley Governorate-Egypt

Research Authors
Salah Mahmoud Gameel, Aly Ahmed Abd-Ella, Eman Farook Tolba
Research Abstract

Field trials were conducted to investigate the infestation levels with the greater date moth, Arenipses sabella Hampson (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on the bunches and fruits of two common da te palms (Saidi and Tamr ) and the cereal cultivar (Mantor) in four Districts (El-Kharga, Paris, Balat and Mut) at the New Valley during 2015&2016 seasons. Data of the two successive seasons in El-Kharga Oasis indicated that, Saidi (economic cultivar) was more prefe rred to attack by the greater date moth than Mantor. The average per centages of the cut bunch bases (CBB) which lead to loss the bunch fruits and express about the economic damage were (10.89 and11.20%) on Saidi a nd (3.08 and 2.00%) on Mantor, respectively. The fruit damage fo r both cultivars was not noticeable. Under Mut district, the symptoms of damage by the greater date moth was different where, the pest prefer to attack the fruit than bunch bases. The larvae was seldom feed on bunch bases of Tamr cultivar where it recorded (0.27 and 0.22%) on Tamr and (6.67a nd 13.02%) on Saidi and the direct date fruit losses were (20.87 and 26. 23 %) on Saidi and (47.21 and 44.62%) on Tamr during 2015 and 2016, respectively. The chemical analysis indicated that, Tamr bunch bases obtained highly Calcium and Potassium percentages (0.14 and 1.54%) than Sa idi (0.12 and 1.38%), respectively. Meanwhile, the percentages of total protein and total carbohydrate (4.18 and 23.18%) were high in Saidi bunch base s than Tamr, respectively. Tamr fruits obtained highly total carbohydrate, Calcium, and Potassium percentages (61.62, 0.26 and 2.65%) than Saidi fruits (57.30, 0.14 and 1.69%), respectively. There was no si gnificant ratio in the case of total protein. Concerning to the incidence of A.sabella on Saidi variety across the four districts, this cultivar suffered from attacks with different levels. Above 80% of the tested Saidi date palm was infested. The general cut bunch bases (CBB) (about 11.00 %) was observed in El-Kharga. In Mut district, zero damage effect was obtained on the Sa idi bunches and over than 20% of the Saidi fruits was lost directly. In general, greater date moth has a large capacity to spread and infest all tested date palm under the New Va lley conditions, where the average of infestation exceeded eighty percent ma king it one of the most important pests affecting date palm production in this governorate. Further ecological and biological studies on A. sabella to develop integrated pest management to combat this pest (14) Date Palm Host Preference of The Greater Date Moth, Arenipses sabella Hampson (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) at New Valley Governorate-Egypt

Research Department
Research Journal
Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences. A. Entomology
Research Member
Research Publisher
Ain-Shams University
Research Rank
2
Research Vol
10 (7)
Research Website
http://entomology.eajbs.eg.net/pdf/vol10-num7/22.pdf
Research Year
2017
Research Pages
221-230