THE ROLE OF SOME INSECT PREDATORS IN REDUCING THE POPULATION OF CERTAIN PIERCING SUCKING INSECTS INFESTING TOMATO CROP

Abstract

Tomato plants considered as the most important economic crop in Family, Solanaceae which cultivated for local consumption and for exportation. Tomato suffers from damages caused by many pests like piercing sucking insects during different growth stages, which could lead to a reduction in the quantity and quality of the crop under the Egyptian conditions. Therefore, this study was conducted during 2014 and 2015 in spring and summer plantations at Kafr Alrjalat village, Tukh, Qalyubiya governorate to study the survey and seasonal activity of cotton and tomato white fly, potato leafhopper and aphids (cotton and green peach aphids) and their relationship to abiotic factors (maximum and minimum temperatures and relative humidity), as well as biotic factors (associated predator insects and plant growth stages) using two tomato cultivars ( Alissa and Super Jackal). Three sample techniques were used (yellow