Study of Some biological characteristics of the cucurbit fruit fly Dacus ciliates (Loew) (Diptera: Tephritidae) under laboratory conditions on the hosts of zucchini and cucumber and its distribution on the Syrian coast

Magda Mofleh^1*, Hanan Habak¹, Samer Issa¹ and Mohammad Al-Allan²

1 General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research, Lattakia Research Center, Syria.
2 General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research, Plant Protection Research Administration, Damascus, Syria.

(*Corresponding author: Magda Mofleh, Email: magda.mofleh@yahoo.com)

Received: 23/ 6/ 2025 Accepted: 7/ 9/ 2025

Abstract:

The cucurbit fruit fly Dacus ciliatus (Loew) is found at various altitudes (5–1100 m) along the Syrian coast where it has recently spread in Syria (2023-2024). It affects several plant families in both protected and open field agriculture and infests several plant hosts (zucchini, cucumber, pumpkin, luffa, watermelon, and tomato), with high infection rates observed in both cucumber and zucchini. In some fields, by the end of August, the infection rate reached 100%. The results showed a preference of D. ciliatus for zucchini fruits compared to cucumber, with the average number of larvae per fruit being (20.1 ± 3.8 and 14.8 ± 4.3 larvae/ fruit) respectively, with significant differences. As for life cycle indicators, the average egg incubation period was (1.9 ± 0.5 and 1.8 ± 0.4 days), larval stage duration (7.6 ± 0.7 and 6.5 ± 0.9 days), and pupal stage duration (9.6 ± 1.0 and 7.6 ± 2.0 days) on zucchini and cucumber fruits, respectively. The life cycle from egg until the complete insect emerges from the pupa took (26.7 ± 1.6) days on zucchini at an average temperature of (25±2)°C, and (23 ± 3.2) days on cucumber at (30±2)°C.

Keywords: Lesser cucurbit fly, zucchini, cucumber, life cycle, Syrian coast.

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**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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**Identification the Damage and Species Structure of Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne spp. on Cucumber in Greenhouses**

Mazen Y. Al Body*⁽¹⁾ Reem Yousef ⁽²⁾ and Hossam Saliba Malas⁽³⁾

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

(2). Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Baath University, Homs, Syria.

(3). Homs Research Center, GCSAR, Damascus, Syria.

(*Corresponding author: Dr. Mazen Youssef Al Body. E-Mail: mazenb14@hotmail.com).

Received: 23/04/2018 Accepted: 05/08/2018

Abstract

A field survey was carried out in 34 greenhouses of cucumbers in the Syrian coast in 16 villages belonging to the governorates of Latakia and Tartous, in order to determine the incidence and severity of root-knot nematode, in addition to determinate the structure of the species in the adult female by perineal patterns morphology and taking the biometric measurements of the larvae at the second stage, since March until the end of June of the season 2014/2015. The results of the study on root samples showed that the incidence of root-knotted nematodes ranged between (20- 100%) with an average of 59%. The severity of the injury according to the scale (Bridge and Page, 1980) was 0.4- 4.2 with an average of 1.67. The results showed the presence of three main species belong to the species Meloidogyne: M. incognita, M. javanica M. arenaria, and the percentage of the prevalence of 50.98%, 47.55%, 1.47% respectively. While M. hapla species was not recorded in the study area.

Keyword: Root- knot nematode, Severity of infection, Structure identification, Cucumber, Greenhouse.

Full Paper in Arabic: PDF