LIFE CYCLE OF DUBAS BUG, OMMATISSUS BINOTATUS LYBICUS DE BERG. (HOMOPTERA-TROPIDUCHIDAE) IN SULTANATE OF OMAN

Biological studies on Dubas bug, Ommatissus binotatus lybicus DeBerg. were carried out for two successive years (1995/1996). The insect was successfully reared on date palm seedlings cultivated in plas­tic pots under laboratory conditions in Jimmah Research Station (JR5) Al-Dakhlyia Region, Oman. The results obtained showed that the pest had two annual generations per year (spring and autumn generations) and the adult passed through five nymphal instars before maturity. The spring generation lasted 155.6-161.9 days, while autumn generation lasted 149.4-155.1 days in both years (1995 and 1996). The nymphal stage lasted 43-48.6 days in spring generation and 32.7-34.8 days in autumn generation. Adult female lived 40.4-49.7 days and 53.7-58.5 days in spring and autumn generations, respectively. The respective fig­ures for males were 45.7-56.6 and 62.7-66.8 days. The number of de­posited eggs ranged 98.5-119.6 eggs/female in spring generation and 113-128.6 eggs/female in autumn generation. The incubation period of the egg stage 97.9-101.8 days and 103.4-109.9 days in spring and au­tumn generation, respectively.