Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection (2010) 43, 689-699

H.S. Salama and Mahfouz M.M. Abd-Elgawad (2010)
Spatial patterns of the red palm weevil and applied entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora
Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection 43 (7), 689-699
Abstract: The distribution and abundance of red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) within palm tree-infected stems at Ismaelia governorate, Egypt, were investigated. Taylor's power law was fit (P < 0.01) to its larvae, pupae and/or adults. The slope value of this power law indicated the clumped distribution of these insect stages. Sample size optimisation needed to achieve a predetermined level of sampling error for the insect stages was calculated. Also, soil samples were taken after uniform application of entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora strain EG₁ to the soil under citrus tree canopies at the rate of 10⁴ infective juveniles/400 cm² plots, and assayed for the nematode using the Galleria bait method. At the first and second sampling dates, the nematode displayed contagious distribution and attained mean insect mortality of 15.3 and 4, respectively. At the third date of sampling, the nematode showed random distribution according to chi-squared test and caused 1.8 mean insect mortality. Evaluation of H. bacteriophora EG₁ as a biocontrol measure for the weevil was discussed based on their investigated dispersion indices.
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Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): H.S. Salama, Mahfouz M.M. Abd-Elgawad

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
environment/habitat manipulation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Rhynchophorus ferrugineus		Egypt
Heterorhabditis bacteriophora/Photorhabdus (entomopathogen)			Egypt