ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON CERTAIN MAIZE INSECTS WITH SPECIAL CONSIDERATION OF BIOLOGY OF SEMI-LOOPER, AlJTOBA GAYNERI(ROTH) AND SHEDDER BUG CREONTIADES PALLIDUSRAMB.

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out in four plantations of mmze cultivated in Sids Agricultural Research Station, Beni-Suef Governorate during three successive years 1996-1998 and was conducted with the object of studying survey of the available insects associated with com maize throughout the period of study, the fluctuation in population densities of the selected nine insects and the effect of some prevailing weather factors on their abundance and in addition a quantitative study has been made in an attempt to study the biology of a semi-looper, Autoba gayneri which is recorded for the first time on com maize in Egypt, as well as the effect of different hosts on certain biological aspects of the shedder bug, Creontiades pallidus.

The obtained results can be summarized as following :

1- Survey Studies :

General survey of insect species inhabiting maize fields and their associated predators revealed the presence of 48 species belonging to 26 families of 11 orders. They can be summarized under five categories : 1- Perform a chewing habit by feeding on the leaves such as : Acrotylus

insuhricus, Aiolopus strepens, Anacridium aegyptium, Locusta migratoria danica, Homorocoryphus nitidulus, Gegenes nostrodames, Sesamia cretica, Spodoptera littoralis and Spodoptera exigua. 2- Suck the sap of leaves and stalks such as : Compylomma impicta, Creontiades pallidus, Nezara viridula, Oxycarenus hyalinipe.nnis, Dysmicoccus brevipes, Dysmicoccus trispinosus, Rhopalosiphum maidis, Cicodulina bipunctella, Empoasca decipiens and Limothrips cerealium.