Evaluation the Efficiency of the Predator Serangium parcesetosum Sicard (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Controlling Bemisia tabaci Genn. (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) on Cucumber and Tomato Plants

Rafik Abboud*(1) Majedah Mofleh(2) and Ahmad Mohammad(3)

(1). Latakia Agriculture Research Center, General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research GCSAR, Damascus, Syria.

(2). Plant Protection Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Latakia, Syria.

(*Corresponding author: Dr. Rafik Abboud. E-Mail: abboud.rafeek@hotmail.com).

Received: 17/07/2019                                Accepted: 08/12/2019

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the predator Serangium parcesetosum Sicard (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in controlling Bemisia tabaci Genn. on tomato and cucumber plants in cages. The experiment included four treatments and 12 replications. The first and third treatments were conducted on cucumber plants and second and fourth treatments were experienced on tomato plants. Adults of B. tabaci were introduced in cages on plants that have six true leaves. Two weeks later, adults of S. parcesetosum were introduced in the first and second treatments at a rate of two adult predators/plant. The release was done three times at weekly intervals. The third and fourth treatments remained predator-free. Leaves were examined weekly, the population of immature stages were recorded (eggs, L1, L2, L3, L4\ 1 cm2 leaf) which were taken randomly from the top, middle and bottom of the plants. The predator was not recorded on tomato. The number of whitefly stages increased in treated cages until the sixth week, and then began to decrease from about 20 eggs and 39 nymphs/1 cm2 of leaf surface to 11 eggs and 3 nymphs after ten weeks. Population density of the whitefly in the control increased to 219 eggs and 145 nymphs/1 cm2 of leaf surface during the same period. Mortality rates of old nymphs were 93.3 and 4.1% after nine weeks for the predator treatment and control, respectively. Results indicated that, S. parcesetosum could be recommended for the control of B. tabaci on cucumber in protected cultivation in Syria.

Keywords: Biological control, Bemisia tabaci, Cucumber, Tomato, Protected cultivation, Syria.

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