Phytophagous stink bugs (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae) are economically important insect pests of fruit, vegetable, nut and field crops. This study was carried out during the season of 2013 in orchards within Erbil city, to follow the stink bug Mustha spinulosa (Lefebvre, 1831) seasonal fluctuation on some fruit trees: olive, plum, apricot, pear, apple and almond. The stink bug reaches its maximum abundance throughout the second week of August (38.2/tree) coinciding with mean temperature and relative humidity of 33.40°C and 28.14% respectively, and the highest total mean of the number of the insect was recorded on the olive trees (181.8/tree). The study reveals that the stink bug attacked 22 trees (fruit and forest) while it has not attack any herbal plant.
All life stages of the pentatomid stink bug Mustha spinulosa (Lefebrve, 1831) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) collected from several types of trees in Erbil Governorate, North Iraq, along with their morphometrical description, were illustrated. Eggs are barrel in shape, green in color when freshly laid, and usually deposited in clusters that contain 14 eggs each (sometimes 12). Nymphs complete their stage through 5 instars. Head, pronotum, and connexivum of the adults and instars are with pale pink and gray spines; female is slightly larger than male; female is 27.30 mm long and 12.80 mm wide, while male is 25.80 mm long and 11.98 mm wide. Labium proboscis is1.25 ± 0.01 cm long, with brown blackish color. A pair of scent glands are located on the underside of thorax between second and third leg base. All body parts, especially head, thorax, and abdomen are densely covered with setae.
This investigation conducted during the two successive seasons 2012-2013 in orchards within Erbil city to follow seasonal fluctuation of Stephanitis pyri. S. pyri start appear in the first week of April and reached a peak level 13.90, 11.4 in third week of August for the two years respectively when the mean temperature was ranged 33-34°C and R.H. 24-29%. Correlation values for lace bug incidence with weather parameters showed that maximum and minimum RH had negative influence on lace bug population. The change in the level of infestation was due to difference in environmental temperature, relative humidity. Field investigation pointed out that the female's activity of S. pyri began during the period from 1 st week of April onward 4 th week of October through which it laid their eggs.
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