Sliman Sliman(1)*, Ziad Chikh-Khamis(1) and Mounir Al-Nabhan(2)
(1). Department of plant protection , Agriculture Faculty, Albaath university, Homs, Syria.
(2). Hama Research Center, General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research GCSAR, Syria.
(*Corresponding author: Sliman Sliman. E-Mail: suleman.abdalkareem.su@gmail.com).
Accepted:30/04/2023 Received: 8/02/2023
Abstract:
The predator Orius laevigatus (Fieber)(Anthocoridae:Hemiptera) is a natural enemy of thrips, aphids and whiteflies. Evaluation of the capabilities of the predator O. laevigatus as a biological control agent The biological characteristics of the predator were studied when reared on the Mediterranean flour moth eggs Ephestia kuehniella and Geranium tuberosum at temperature 25 ± 1 ° C and relative humidity 60 ± 5% Lighting illumination 16 hours/day. The nutritional needs of the predator of E. kuehniella eggs were also studied. The total fertility of the female reached 85.15 ± 25 eggs, the egg hatching rate was 90%, and the incubation period of eggs was 3.1 ± 0.3 days on average. The survival rate of the nymph stage was 51%, the length of the egg laying period was 21.9 ± 1.48 days. The nutritional requirements of the nymphs’ ages, arranged on average, were 14.2 ± 1.67, 17.35 ± 1.13, 22.7 ± 1.78, 28.6 ± 1.27, 59.2 ± 3 eggs of the host E. kuehniella, while the shoots of the female and male were 369 ± 16 and 300 ± 17 eggs.
Keywords: predator Orius laevigatus, Ephestia kuehniella, biological characteristics, nutritional needs.
Full paper in Arabic: pdf