{"id":11353,"date":"2026-06-30T21:39:48","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T21:39:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agri-research-journal.net\/SjarEn\/?p=11353"},"modified":"2026-06-30T21:39:48","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T21:39:48","slug":"efficiency-of-the-inoculative-release-of-hyperaspis-trifurcata-schaeffer-in-controlling-the-opuntia-cochineal-scale-insect-dactylopius-opuntiae-cockerell-in-syria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agri-research-journal.net\/SjarEn\/?p=11353","title":{"rendered":"Efficiency of the inoculative release of Hyperaspis trifurcata (Schaeffer) in controlling the opuntia cochineal scale insect Dactylopius opuntiae (Cockerell) in Syria"},"content":{"rendered":"

Firas Assad <\/strong>1*<\/sup>, Ziad Chikh-Khamis2<\/sup> and Mazen Bufaur3<\/sup><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1 General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research, Hama Research Center, Syria.<\/span>
\n2 Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Homs University, Syria. <\/span>
\n3 General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research, Swedaa Research Center, Syria.<\/span>
\n(*Corresponding author: Firas Assad, Email: firasassad52@gmail.com<\/a>, Mob.: 0988210995).<\/span><\/p>\n

Received: 9\/ 7\/ 2025\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Accepted: 23\/ 11\/ 2025<\/span><\/p>\n

Abstract<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The coccinellid Hyperaspis<\/em> trifurcata<\/em> (Schaeffer) is natural enemy (predator) associated with Opuntia cochineal scale insect Dactylopius<\/em> opuntiae<\/em> which damage Cactus in Syria. This research was carried out to study the potential of inoculative releases of H<\/em>. trifurcata<\/em> in Qatana region in rif-Dimashq-Syria. In 2021 season H<\/em>. trifurcata<\/em> was released in cactus field 1 in three points at 100 adults\/point, when the infestation ratio in the two cactus fields 1 and 2 were in average; 32.4 and 35.4% respectively. The observation of Pedator population and infestation ratio in both fields were continued per three next seasons. The results showed that H<\/em>. trifurcata<\/em> had established in both cactus fields during 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons, it consumed different stages of D<\/em>. opuntiae<\/em> and reduced infestation ratio gradually. In field 1 the infestation ratio was in 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons in average; 34.78, 24.69 and 9.56% respectively. However, it was; 35.06, 25.87 and 14.51% those of field 2. The average number of H<\/em>. trifurcata<\/em> in 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons in field 1 was; 4.51, 3.35 and 1.6 adult\/cladode respectively. However, it was; 2.97, 3.87 and 2.56 those of field 2, with positive correlation between predator population and infestation ratio. Based on these results, it was concluded that H<\/em>. trifurcata<\/em> had a potential in biological control of D<\/em>. opuntiae<\/em> under Syrian local environment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Keywords:<\/strong> Hyperaspis<\/em> trifurcate<\/em>, Opuntia cochineal scale, Dactylopius<\/em> opuntiae<\/em>, cactus, biological control.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Full paper in Arabic: PDF<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Firas Assad 1*, Ziad Chikh-Khamis2 and Mazen Bufaur3 1 General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research, Hama Research Center, Syria. 2 Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Homs University, Syria. 3 General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research, Swedaa Research Center, … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sjar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agri-research-journal.net\/SjarEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11353","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agri-research-journal.net\/SjarEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agri-research-journal.net\/SjarEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agri-research-journal.net\/SjarEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agri-research-journal.net\/SjarEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11353"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/agri-research-journal.net\/SjarEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11353\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11355,"href":"https:\/\/agri-research-journal.net\/SjarEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11353\/revisions\/11355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agri-research-journal.net\/SjarEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11353"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agri-research-journal.net\/SjarEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11353"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agri-research-journal.net\/SjarEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11353"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}