SURVEY AND POPULATION STUDIES ON CATCHES OF HEMIPTERA BY A LIGHT TRAP AT AL-ARISH CITY (NORTH SINAI)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Plant protection Research Institute, Agricultural Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt

Abstract

A survey together with studies on population densities and rela­tive abundance of hemipterous insccts were conducted by the use of a Robinson light trap at Al-Arish city, North Sinai during two successive years (October, 1994-September, 1996). The survey revealed the pres­ence of 92 hemipterous species belonging to 58 genera of 16 families: Alydidae, Anthocoridae, Berytidae, Coreidae; Cydnidae, Dicranocephali­dae, Joppeicidae, Lygaeidae, Miridae, Nabidae, Pentatomidae, Plasidae, Piesmidae, Pyrrhocoridae, Reduviidae and Rhopalidae. The total annual number of bugs was 13908 and 7272 bugs in the first and second years, respectively. The highest numbers of bugs were trapped during May-October. The peak was during September in the first year and in August in the second one. The lowest numbers were obtained through December-March. Families Pentatomidae and Lygaei­dae contained the largest number of species and/or individuals, followed by families Reduviidae, Cydnidae and Miridae, respectively. Other families were represented by lesser number of individuals and/or species. Individ­uals of the species Nysius emcee, Nysius cymoids (Lygaeidae), Eusarcor­is ventralis and Nysius viridula (Pentatomidae) were found to be the most abundant and active species in the two years of study.