The subterranean termite
Psammotermes hypostoma
Desneux is considered as an important pest that could cause severe damage to buildings, furniture, silos of grain and crops or any material containing cellulose. This species of termites is widespread in Egypt and Africa. The lower termite’s ability to digest cellulose depends on the association of symbiotic organisms gut that digest cellulose (flagellates and bacteria). In this study, 33 different bacterial isolates were obtained from the gut of the termite
P. hypostoma
which were collected using cellulose traps. Strains were grown on carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) as a sole source of carbon. Cellulolytic strains were isolated in two different cellulose medium (mineral salt medium containing carboxymethylcellulose as the sole carbon source and agar cellulose medium). Five isolates showed significant cellulolytic activity identified by a Congo red assay which gives clear zone. Based on biochemical tests and sequencing of 16s rRNA genes these isolates were identified as
Paenibacillus lactis
,
Lysinibacillus macrolides
,
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
,
Lysinibacillus fusiformis
and
Bacillus cereus
, that deposited in GenBank with accession numbers MG991563, MG991564, MG991565, MG991566 and MG991567, respectively.
A relatively safe control measures conducted to control Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, Oliver (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in palm orchard at El-Kattatba district, (Menofia governorate). The percentages reduction of infestation for the used 7 applications for one year treatment (2016), two successive years (2016 and 2017), and three successive years (2016, 2017 and 2018) were, ranked, as follow; A: Horticultural treatments: 1) offshoots removal (27.73 increased to 34.87 then 38.88%), 2) pruning with dusting agricultural sulfur (15.06 increased to 17.65 then 19.24%), 3) offshoots removal and pruning with dusting agricultural sulfur (34.06 increased to 39.50 then 45.69%). B: Chemical treatment: 4) local painting with hydrated lime and spraying orange oil (80.57 increased to 85.08 then 89.58%), 5) local injection with recommended insecticide (61.35 increased to 71.01 then 79.16%). B: Chemical treatment: 6) offshoots removal and pruning with dusting agricultural sulfur together with local painting with hydrated lime and spraying orange oil and using pheromone traps treatment resulted in 86.03% increased to 88.24% then 96.39%, and 7) offshoots removal and pruning with dusting agricultural sulfur together with local injection with recommended insecticide treatment resulted in 68.78% increased to 78.15% then 91.78%. This study aimed to eliminate the pesticide use, decrease the environmental pollution and encouraged the role of the biological control agents.
Two biopesticides Serratia marcescens [Eubacteriales: Enterobacteria] (used at MC 50 , concentration caused 50% malformation) and Bacillus thuringiensis Var. kurstaki (used at LC 50) and insect growth regulator Teflubenzuron (used at LC 50 value) were used for treatment of 2 nd instar larvae of cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.). Sequential combined Effect was carried out by treating 2 nd instar larvae with LC 50 value of B. thuringiensis or Teflubenzuron then the larvae allowed to pupate on sawdust treated with S. marcescens at MC 50 .The effect of these three agents were assessed by toxicity The obtained LC 50 values were 0.113 and 165.64 ppm, for Teflubenzuron and B. thuringiensis Var. kurstaki. (protecto), respectively. Moreover, the activity of Chitinase, protease, trehalase, and the main components (total lipids, proteins and carbohydrates) were significantly fluctuated during the different periods of pupal stage. MATERIALS AND METHODS Rearing technique The stock culture of the cotton leafworm, S. littoralis (Boisd.) was El-Sheikh, T. A. A. et al.
The rearing of red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier on sugarcane stems, as substitutive host, to study each of food consumption, growth rates and some biological aspects, detected that the larvae undergo ten instars from egg hatching until construction of cocoon, the total duration after hatching of these instars reached 66.1days, ranged between 58 to 74 days. The lengths of larvae at 10 th instars were ranged 47-56mm, with a mean of 52 + 3.03mm. The weight of last larval instar reached 6.61 g (ranged 5.8-7.4 g). Larval growth rate recorded 0.096g/day, adult weevil remains stable through the 1 st four weeks of feeding (mean, 1.244 g) and decreased afterward during the 5 th and 6 th weeks of feeding (mean, 1.128 and 0.956 g, respectively). The acquired weight of larvae has differed with the variation in weight of larvae. The percentage of larval weight gain varied from 49.76 (for 2 g / larva) to 7.93% (for 5 g / larva). Total weight of food consumption during successive growth periods (55days) recorded 83.18 g / larva. Daily consumption recorded 10.37 g during the feeding period, with a rate of 1.5 g / larva.
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