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LABORATORY OBSERVATIONS OF RAPHITELUS MACULATUS WALKER 1834 (HYMENOPTERA: CHALCIDOIDEA) A PARASITOID OF THE ALMOND BARK BEETLE SCOLYTUS AMYGDALI GUERIN-MENEVILLE 1847 (COLEOPTERA: CURCULIONIDAE) IN TUNISIA
Abstract
The almond bark beetle Scolytus amygdali is an economic insect pest of many cultivated species of stone fruit trees, especially peach, plum, apricot and almond, grown in the Mediterranean region. Although the potential use of parasitoids as biological control agent against economically insect pests only few studies have been carried out against S. amygdali. The present study focused on the biology and the life cycle of S. amygdali in Tunisia during the past three years. Infested branches of almond trees were reared under laboratory conditions in rearing cages. Adults of S. amygdali and their natural enemies including all life stages of Raphitelus maculatus were collected and identified. S. amygdali females deposited around 303.8 eggs throughout 10.8 maternal galleries. The average density of attack was 0.07 galleries per cm2 of bark whereas the rate of parasitism with R. maculatus was 2.1. The mortality percentage of S. amygdali was 39.6%. The mortality of the population is statistically linked to the presence of R. maculatus. Moreover, the parasitism rate was increased by increasing the number of S. amygdali adults and the multiplication rate.
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References
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