Pitfall trapping of tenebrionid and carabid beetles 471

BORROR,D. J.; DELONG, D. M.; TRIPLEHORN, C. A., 1964: An introduction to the study of
insects. New York: Holt, Rinehart und Winston.
CLOUDSLEY-THOMPSON, J. L., 1975: Adaptations of Arthropoda to arid environments. Ann. Rev.
Entomol. 4, 373-374.
DOYEN, J. T.; TSCHINKEL, W. F., 1974: Population size, microgeographic distribution and habitat
separation in some tenebroinid beetle (Coleoptera). Ann. Entomol. SOC.Am. 67, 617-626.
FRANK, J. H., 1971 : Carabidae (Coleoptera) predators of the red-backed cutworm (Lepidoptera:
Noctuidae) in central Alberta. Can. Entomol. 103, 1039-1044.
GREENSLADE, P. J. M., 1964: Pitfall trapping as a method for studying populations of Carabidae
(Coleoptera). J. Anim. Ecol. 33, 103-110.
HOUSE,G. J.; ALL,J. N., 1981: Carabid beetles in soybean agroecosystems. Environ. Entomol.
10, 194-196.
Loss, L. M.; ALLEN,W. A., 1983: Abundance and diversity of adult Carabidae in insecticide-
treated and untreated alfalfa fields. Environ. Entomol. 12, 1068-1072.
LUND,R. D.; TURPIN,F. T., 1977: Carabid damage to weed seeds found in Indiana cornfields.
Environ. Entomol. 6, 695-698.
ROGERS, L. E.; RICKARD, W. H., 1975: A survey of darkling beetles in desert steppe vegetation
after a decade. Ann. Entomol. SOC.Am. 68, 1069-1070.
SOUTHWOOD, T. R. E., 1978: Ecological methods, with particular reference to the study of insect
populations. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
TANNER, V. M.; PACKHAN, W. A., 1965: Tenebrionidae beetles of the Nevada test site. Brigham
Young Univ. Sci. Bull. Biol. Ser. 6, 1 4 4 .
THOMAS, D. B., 1979: Patterns in the abundance of some tenebrionid beetles in the Mojave desert.
Environ. Entomol. 8, 568-574.
WILLIAM,D.; WANNER, D., 1980: Ground beetle abundance in organic and conventional corn
fields. Environ. Entomol. 9, 629-631.
WISE,D. H., 1981: Seasonal and yearly patterns in the densities of darkling beetles (Coleoptera:
Tenebrionidae) in a Montane Community. Environ. Entomol. 10, 350-358.
Address of the first author: Dr. ABDOA. FARAGALLA, Department of Plant Protection, College of
Agriculture, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, P.O.Box 2460,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Laboratory of Plant Protection and Soil Sciences, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo

Soil nutrients affecting the population density of Parlatoria

zizyphus (Lucas) and Icerya purchasi Mask. (Homopt.,
Coccoidea) on citrus seedlings
A. F. EL-SHERIF
By H. S. SALAMA, and M. MEGAHED

Abstract
Studies have been made to determine the effect of soil nutrients on the build-up of population of
the scale insect Parlatoria zizyphws (Lucas) and the mealy bug Icerya purchasi Mask., on citrus
seedlings. The results obtained showed that excess rates of nitrogen, or phor horous nutrients
caused an increase in the population density of these two insect species on b o t l sweet and baladi
orange seedlings grown in sandy soils. Different rates of calcium have no effect on the population
of the two insect species. Variations in the rates of potassium and magnesium may have some effect
which varied with the citrus variety used.

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Z. ang. Ent. 99 (1985), 471476
0 1985 Verlag Paul Parey, Hamburg und Berlin
ISSN 0044-2240 / Intercode: ZANEAE
4 72 H . S. Salama, A. F. El-Sherif and M. Megahed

1 Introduction

The scale insect, Parlatoria zizyphus (Lucas) and the mealy bug Ice y a purchasi
Mask. are sa sucking insects. It is expected that these insects are affected by
P
the chemica constituents of the juice of their hosts and influenced by the
elements available in the soil where the hosts are cultivated. In this connection,
these two species showed to be more abundant and distributed in localities
where the soil is characterized by having a high nitrogen content.
The present study is therefore an attempt to investigate the possible effect of
soil nutrients on the build-up of opulations of Parlatoria zizyphus and Ice y a
t
purchasi on seedlings of orange aladi (Citrus sinensis var. baladi) and sweet
orange (C. sinensis var. sukkari).

2 Materials and methods

To investigate the effect of different nutrients levels on the susceptibility of citrus trees to
infestation with the scale insect, Parlatoria zizyphus, potted seedlings (two-years-old) of Citrus
sinensis var. baladi (orange baladi) and C. sinensis var. sukkari (sweet orange) were used. 180 pots
each measuring 40 cm diameter were painted from inside with pitch and filled with sand
previously washed with 5 % HCI followed by distilled water for several times. A group of 90 pots
were cultivated with sweet orange seedlings and another group was cultivated with orange baladi
seedlings, after removing off also the soil around the roots. Each group included 15 treatments, to
represent three different levels of nutrition (deficiency, normal and increase) for each of the
elements, nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous. Each treatment was repli-
cated 6 times.
Tap water was alternately applied for irrigation which took place twice weekly throughout the
summer season and once weekly during winter. The pots were placed in an open yard in the
experimental farm of the National Research Centre at Barrage, Kalyubia Governorate, over a
cement earth, so as to avoid the penetration of the roots in the soil and thus controllin the
absorption of any other nutrients from any other source rather than those provided to the pknts.
Thirty days after cultivation of the citrus seedlings, the nutrients were provided to the plants at the
levels given in table 1. The salts used in fertilization were ammonium sulphate as a source for
nitrogen, calcium sulphate as a source for calcium, potassium sulphate as a source for potassium
and magnesium sulphate as a source for magnesium. These salts were provided to the plants as
water solutions, while phosphorous was provided to the plants as water solutions, while
hosphorous was provided to the plants through mixing super-phosphate with the soil followed
gy irrigation. Table 1 shows the amount of salts given to each lant.
The plants were left 4 months after the first treatment, a suflcient period to allow the effect of
the nutrients to be assessed. Artificial infestation with the black parlatoria scale, Parlatoria
zizyphus and the cottony cushion scale, Iceryapurchasiwas made by attaching a roup of branches
infested with the tested insects that were collected from infested citrus orchark to the seedlings
with rubber band. The infested branches were collected at a time when most of the females were in
the ovipositing stage. Upon hatching, the newly hatched individuals migrated and soon settled on
the treated plant. The cottony cushion scale moved more or less throughout its development, but it

Table I . Amount of salts given to each plant

I
I
Element Level in glplant
A (deficient) B (normal) C (excess)
I

Nitrogen 75 150 300

Potassium 50 100 200
Magnesium 25 50 100
Calcium 25 50 100
Phosphorous 100 200 400
 Soil nutrients affecting population density of P. zizyphus and I . purchasi 473
remained fixed after the formation of egg sac. The latter preferred the twigs or even the large
branches but a few insects matured on the leaves.
The population density of Parlatoria zizyphus was counted on the treated seedlings throughout
3 successive generations (November 1978, March and July 1979), in which all its stages were
counted on the stems and both leaf surfaces with a field lens. The total population on the seedlings
of each treatment was considered as representing the population density per one treatment. The
population of the cottony cushion scale, Icerya purchasi was also estimated on the treated plants
during August 1978, December 1978 and May 1979 and included all stages.
Data on the insect counts were subjected to a scheme of statistical analysis (L.S.R.) according
to Duncan’s multiple range test (1955).

3 Results
3.1 Effects on Parlatoria zizyphus
Data given in table 2 show the population density of Parlatoria zizyphus on
sweet orange leaves as affected by various levels of fertilization in sandy soil.
Excess of nitrogen or phorphorous significantly increased the insect PO ula-
tion, while its decrease below the normal level did not cause any sign1 icant
change in the build-up of population. The variation in the rates of potassium or
.P
calcium showed no effect. O n the other hand, the deficiency in magnesium
level led to a significant increase in the insect population.
With orange baladi (table 2), nearly similar results were obtained, but the
increase in rates of potassium or calcium nutrients led to an increase in the
insect population, while variations, in the rates of magnesium nutrient showed
no effect.
3.2 Effects on Icerya purchasi
Data on the population density of I. purchasi on sweet orange leaves as affected
by various levels of fertilization in sandy soil are given in table 3. It appears
Table 2. Population density of Parlatoria zizyphus on sweet orange and orange baladi seedlings in
sandy soil as affected by different levels of nutrients

Sweet orange Orange baladi

Nurr. E D N LSR E D N LSR

N 615 196 182 ++ E/D 494 113 133 ++ E/D

++ E/N ++ E/N
- D/N - N/D
P 576 452 121 - E/D 463 110 80 ++ E/D
+ E/N ++ E/N
- D/N - D/N
K 278 182 142 - E/D 211 92 65 - E/D
- E/N - D/N
- N/D + E/N
Mg 263 459 116 - E/D 119 64 68 - E/D
- E/N - E/N
++ D/N - N/D
Ca 311 56 85 - E/D 285 74 66 + E/D
- E/N - D/N
- N/D + E/N
E = Excess, D = Deficiency, N = Normal; + + Highly significant, + Significant,
- Insignificant
4 74 H . S. Salama, A . F. El-Sherif and M . Megahed

Table 3 . Population density of Icerya purchasi on sweet orange and orange baladi seedlings in
sandy soil as affected by different levels of nutrients

Sweet orange Orange baladi

Nurr. E D N LSR E D N LSR

N 1559 420 495 ++ E/D 1644 402 169 ++ E/D

++ E/N ++ E/N
- N/D - D/N
P 1763 415 490 ++ E/D 851 115 161 ++ E/D
++ E/N ++ E/N
- DIN - N/D
K 210 1200 330 ++ D/E 1419 632 331 - E/D
++ DIN + E/N
- N/E - D/N
Mg 1062 505 777 + E/D 134 792 444 - D/E
- E/N - D/N
- N/D - N/E
Ca 452 683 375 - D/E 74 275 327 - N/E
- D/N - N/D
- E/N - D/E
E = Excess, D = Deficiency, N = Normal; + + Highly significant, + Significant, -
Insignificant

that there is highly significant difference between the different levels of

nutrients on the population density of this insect s ecies. The excess of
K
nitrogen, phosphorous or magnesium rates caused a hig ly significant increase
in the population density of the insect, while the deficiency level decreased its
population, The decrease of potassium rate caused a highly significant increase
in the population density of insect, while the excess rates reduced the insect
population. Various rates of calcium element showed no effect on the build-up
of insect population.
In the case of orange baladi data given in table 3 show that the excess of
nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium rates caused a high1 significant increase
in the build-up of insect population, while normal or ower rates of these
nutrients had no significant effect. Various rates of magnesium and calcium
r
also had no significant effect.

4 Discussion

The foregoing results on the build-up of population of the parlatoria scale P.

zizyphus and the cottony cushion scale I. purchasi on citrus seedlings as
affected by different rates of soil nutrients show the following:
High rates of nitrogen, phosphorous and low rates of magnesium provided
to seedlings of sweet orange significantly increased their susceptibility to
infestation with P. zizyphus. The variation in the supply of potassium or
calcium showed no effect on the seedling susceptibility to infestation with this
insect species. On seedlings of orange baladi, similar results were obtained but
the increase in the supply of potassium or calcium nutrients led to an increase
in the insect population. The field observations indicate that P. zizyphus is
 Soil nutrients affecting population density of P. zizyphus and I . purchasi 475
more distributed in citrus orchards cultivated in soils with high nitrogen
content.
Raising nitrogen, phosphorous or magnesium rates and lowering potassium
rate provided to seedlings of sweet orange significantly increased their suscep-
tibility to infestation with I . purchasi. Variation in the rates of calcium
however had no effect. With orange baladi, nearly similar results were
obtained, but variations in the rates of both magnesium and calcium nutrients
had no effect on the insect population.
Previous investigations on the correlation between the nutrients available in
the soil and the population of some sap sucking insects gave various results.
Thus, SCHEWEIG and GRUNBERG (1936) found that citrus grooves that were
overmanured had a higher population of the black scale than those neglected.
THOMPSON (1942) reported that bronzed leaves of grape fruit were lightly
infested with the purple scale as a result of magnesium deficiency. WITTERand
HASEMAN (1945) reported that the attack of thrips on the low nitrogen level
groups of spinach were less serious, when the calcium supply was increased
OSBURN and MATHIS(1946) stated that orange trees subjected to intensive
cultivation were in better physical condition and therefore they were more
infested with Chrysomphalus aonidium. BODENHEIMER (1951) found that the
reproduction of the red scale A. aurantii was accelerated when the nitrates
were in excess. FRITZSCHE et al. (1957) stated that the increase in the popula-
tion of mites on bean plants was related to an increase in nitrogen and
deficiency of potassium. FENNAH (1959) reported that the heaviest infestation
of cacao plants with mealy bugs was positive1 correlated with the application
i
of nitrogen and negatively correlated with t at of potassium. SALAMA et al.
(1972) found that the excess of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous in the
nutritional source of citrus seedlings increased their resistance to infestation
with the red scale Aonidiella aurantii and their susceptibility to infestation
with the purple scale Lepidosuphes beckii. These findings can be correlated
with the trend of distribution of these two insect species in different soils.
Despite this great variation observed with different insect species, it seems
that nitro en element has the greatest role though the rates of other elements
P
may be ef ective in different insect species. If this can be of an applicable value
in the area of pest control, it may only represent one element in an integrated
program. Further studies on the quantative changes in individual compenents
of the host plant sap as affected by variation in the rates of nutrients supplied
to the soil are in progress and will be the subject of a subsequent paper.

Zusammenfassung
Zur Wirkung won Nahrungsstoffen im Boden auf die Populationsdichte won Parlatoria zizyphus
(Lucas) und Icerya purchasi Mask. (Homopt., Coccoidea) an Zitrus-Sumlingen
Laboruntersuchungen mit den zwei Schildlausen P. zizyphus und I . purchasi an eingetopften
Shlingen von zwei Zitrus-Sorten zeigten, dai3 hohe Gaben N oder P einen Anstieg der Dichte der
beiden Insekten an den Shlingen beider Zitrus-Sorten zur Folge hatten. Verschiedene Ca-Raten
zeigten keine Wirkung. Variationen der Raten von K und Mg erbrachten einige Wukung, die rnit
der Zitrus-Sorte variierten.
References
BODENHEIMER,
F. S., 1951: Citrus Entomology in the Middle East with special reference to Egypt,
Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Syria and Turkey. Dr. W. Junk, Holland.
FENNAH,R. G., 1959: Nutritional factors associated with the development of mealy bugs on
Cacao. Rep. Cacao Res. Trinidad, 18-28.
4 76 H . S . Salama, A . F. El-Sherif and M . Megahed

FRITZSCHE, R.; WOLFGANG, H.; OPEL,H., 1957: Investigations on the dependence of spider mite
increase on the state of nutrition of the food plants. 2. Pfl. Ernahr. Dung. 78, 13-27.
SALAMA, H . S.; AMIN,A. H.; HAWASH, M., 1972: Effect of nutrients supplied to citrus seedlings
on their susceptibility to infestation with the scale insects Aonidiella aurantii (Mask.) and
Lepidosaphes beckii (New.). Z. ang. Ent. 71, 395-405.
SCHWEIG, C.; GRUNBERG, A., 1936: The problem of black scale, Chrysomphalus ficus in Palestine.
Bull. ent. Res. 27, 677-713.
STEYN, J. J., 1951: The effect of low calcium, phosphorus or nitrogen on the life cycle of the red
scale, Aonidiella aurantii Maskell. J. ent. SOC.South Africa 14, 165-170.
THOMPSON, W. L., 1942: The effect of magnesium deficiency on infestation of purpe scale on
citrus. J. econ. Ent. 35, 351-354.
WITTER,S. H.; HASEMAN, L., 1945: Soil nitrogen and thrips injuring on spinach. J. econ. Ent. 38,
6 15-6 17.

Address of the first author: Prof. Dr. H. S. SALAMA, Laboratory of Plant Protection, National
Research Centre, Tahrir, St. Dokki, Cairo, Egypt

Institute of Entomology and Institute of Landscape Ecology, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences,

Ceske' Budtjovice

Integration of olfactometry and electrophoresis in the analysis

of aphid parasitoid biotypes (Hym., Aphidiidae)
and V. N ~ M E C
By P. STAR+,J. POSP~SIL

Abstract
Results obtained by laboratory transfers and electrophoretic analyses of individuals vs. olfac-
tometric tests are compared and discussed. Laboratory test transfers of a single parasitoid species
on populations of different hosts are agreed to be a useful supplement to the primary evidence of
the host spectrum and relative abundance of its parasitoid member s r c i e ? . However, the
population number in F, on another host may be misleading if population iversity in F, and F, is
not determined (by electrophoretic analysis). Olfactometric tests, too, are believed to be useful for
screening of the host preference of a parasitoid species; however, they seem to indicate a general
level and apparently need not be a positive proof of (complete) parasitization. Various aspects of
the host specificity process are discussed. The results are used for a tentative classification of the
alternative hosts of parasitoids in various reservoirs.

1 Introduction

Research of the host specificity of aphid parasitoids has been supplemented

with information independently obtained by olfactometric tests and elec-
trophoretic analyses of populations in various countries.
The object of the present account is to compare these techniques on the
background of both laboratory and field information on the model parasitoid
species, Aphidius ervi Hal.

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Z. ang. Ent. 99 (1985), 476-482
0 1985 Verlag Paul Parey, Hamburg und Berlin
ISSN 0044-2240 / Intercode: ZANEAE