Abstract
Studies on the relationship between insect pests and their predators and parasites were conducted in the Syrian cotton agro-ecosystem from 1980 up to 1983.Earias insulana (Boisduval) was found to be the most damaging pest, whileHeliothis armigera (Hübner) was not an annual returning problem. Among the entomophagous insects found, coccinellids were most numerous during the months June and July and the hemipterous predators were more abundant during August and September.
When predator numbers were reduced with insecticide applications, a significant increase in the bollworm populations occurred, resulting in significant reductions in seed cotton yields. Parasites were relatively not important for the control of lepidopterous pests on cotton. Egg and larva populations ofE. insulana andH. armigera were parasitized byTrichogramma spp. andHabrobracon brevicornis Wesmael respectively. Populations ofBemisia tabaci (Gennadius) were heavily parasitized byEretmocerus mundus Mercet.
Résumé
Des études sur les relations entre les insectes ravageurs et leurs prédateurs et parasites ont été poursuivies de 1980 à 1983 dans les plantations de coton en Syrie.Earias insulana était le ravageur le plus nuisible, tandis qu'Heliothis armigera n'était pas un problème revenant chaque année. Parmi les insectes entomophages rencontrés les Coccinellides sont les plus nombreux au cours des mois de juin et de juillet, tandis que les Hémiptères sont plus abondants durant août et septembre.
Quand le nombre de prédateurs était réduit par des applications insecticides, il en résultait une augmentation significative des populations d'Earias, avec comme résultat des réductions significatives de la production de graines de coton. Les parasites furent relativement pas importants dans la limitation des Lépidoptères nuisibles sur coton. Les œufs et les populations larvaires d'E. insulana etH. armigera furent parasités parTrichogramma spp. etHabrobracon brevicornis Wesmael respectivement. Les populations deBemisia tabaci (Gennadius) furent fortement parasitées parErtmocerus mundus Mercet.
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Stam, P.A., Elmosa, H. The role of predators and parasites in controlling populations ofEarias insulana, heliothis armigera andBemisia tabaci on cotton in the Syrian Arab Republic. Entomophaga 35, 315–327 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02375255
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02375255