RHOPALOMYIA - SERIPHIDIUM HERBA-ALBUM INTERACTION AND MODELING OF THEIR HABITAT IN SOUTH SINAI ECOSYSTEM

Abstract

In the arid mountains of St. Katherine Protectorate (SKP), the cecidomyiid idge Rhopalomyia sp. (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) is a gall forming insect on one of e most important medicinal plants, the Seriphidium herba-album (Asso) Soják. ompositae). Rh. sp. forms round hairy galls on stems of Ser. herba-album, where develops into adult. The current work studied the interaction between Rh. sp. and er. herba-album and the observed and predicted distribution of the gall midge hopalomyia sp. in SKP; in addition to the effect of elevation and vegetation cover n its distribution. Aphelinus mali Hald. (Hymenoptera, Aphelinidae) was recorded a parasitic wasp on Rh. sp. in Ser. herba-album stem galls.