To improve the mass rearing of Peach Fruit Fly, Bactrocera zonata different concentrations of Cacao, Curcuma and Selenium were added to the larval diet. The effects of these additives on the biological characteristics were evaluated. The pupal weight, adult emergence, sex ratio, adult survival, pupal production and adult flight ability were studied to evaluate the mass rearing quantity and quality. In addition, the elements compositions of adult stage were carried out as a monitor for B. zonata vitality. The results indicated that the concentrations of 1.0 gm/ kg Cacao, 1.5 gm/kg Curcuma and (0.01 and 0.02 gm/kg) of Selenium were the most pronounced promising concentration to the insect fitness as compared to the other concentrations. In these concentrations, the pupal productions, pupal weights and flight ability of adult flies were clearly higher than the control treatments. Also, the major and trace elements P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, Mg and Zn of male and female flies previously fed as larvae on selected concentrations of additives were analysed. Addition of 1.5 gm of Curcuma and 1.0 of Cacao increased the Cl of both male and female flies, while addition to both 0.01 and 0.02 gm/kg of Selenium increased the P and Mg contents of the both sexes. Also, some values of tested elements are varied by the different additives; these differences could play an important role in the insect vitality and sex maturation.

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The efficiency of substerile gamma radiation dose on biological, biochemical analysis of the essential nutritive components (total protein, lipids and carbohydrate concentrations), and the sexual hormones (free testosterone and follicle stimulating hormone) of male Helicoverpa armigera (parent generation P and first generation F 1) irradiated as full grown male pupae were studied. The results revealed that there was a significant decrease in emergence percentage of P and F 1 generations with increasing radiation dose, which noted that the sex ratio of P and F 1 generations were in favour of male. The fecundity and fertility of P and F 1 were decreased. However, the sterility percentage of P and F 1 generations was increased by increasing the radiation dose which was more pronounced in F 1 than in P. A negative significant correlation was found between both of the larval duration and pupation percentage of F 1 and the increase of radiation dose. The results indicated a significant decrease in the essential nutritive components (total protein, lipids, and carbohydrate concentrations) and the sexual hormones (free testosterone and follicle stimulating hormone). Furthermore, the reduction was more in F 1 than in P males. In general, it was obvious that the substerile gamma radiation doses enhanced an inherited sterility in H. armigera. Therefore, it could be concluded that inherited sterility of H. armigera may contribute to reduction of insecticides application or may integrate with other safe control methods in controlling H. armigera.

Morphology, distribution and function of the sensilla associated with mouthparts of female mosquito, Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) were studied by using the scanning electron microscope. The female mosquito mouthpart is a piercing and sucking type and carrying many sensory organs which plays major role in host seeking, and oviposition behaviour of mosquitoes. Six types of mouthpart sensilla have been identified and described, Sensilla trichoidea, chaetica, basiconica, Capitate peg, campaniformia and squamiformia. Females mosquito were irradiated as pupae with 20, 40 and 80 Gy of gamma radiation to investigate their effect on mouthparts sensilla. Dose of 20 Gy had slight effect on the different types of the sensilla as compared with the control. Features of malformation observed in the maxillary palp segments at this radiation dose include falling of some scales (sensilla squamiformia) at certain parts of the 1st segment leaving vacuoles. At 40 Gy, the maxillary palp segments were liquefied in some areas leaving undistinguished shape. At the highest dose 80 Gy, the tip of labial palps had many tears and showed were most affected, especially, at the trichoid, basiconic and chateica sensilla. All these malformations may lead the mosquitoes to not reaching the host, impeding their ability to transmit diseases or killing the mosquitoes, and this is the main objective of this study.

The Peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) is a serious devastating pest in Egypt. This pest spends in soil from full grown larvae till adult emergence. Therefore, the present study was planned to evaluate the pathogenicity of Steinernema scapterisci against larvae and 1 day old pupae (at different soil depths), and to investigate the effect of gamma radiation on its virulence. The results revealed that adult emergence percentage decrease as the soil depth and S. scapterisci concentration increase. In contrast, the larval mortality increased with S. scapterisci concentration increased. In addition, this study showed that gamma irradiation of S. scapterisci juveniles with 2Gy increased its virulence against both larvae and pupae, which presented by lower LC 50 values than unirradiated S. scapterisci. Subsequently, it could be concluded that 2Gy irradiated S. scapterisci can serve as a bio-tolerated control method for B. zonata.

(NCRRT) for her critical comments, proceeding facilities, offering help in revising the manuscript, valuable support and kind help.

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