Survey and Population Fluctuation of the Piercing Sucking Pests Inhabiting Solanaceous Crops at Assiut Governorate

Abstract

Solanaceous crops, potato, Solanum tuberosum L.; sweet pepper, Capsicum annuum L.; tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. and eggplant, Solanum melongena L. were used to survey the insects, mites and natural enemies and to study the population fluctuation of the piercing sucking pests, aphid, Aphis gossypii (Glover); whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.); leafhopper, Empoasca decipiens (Paoli) and the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch inhabiting it at Sahel-Saleem district, Assiut Governorate during 2009 and 2010 growing seasons. Fifty five species belonging to thirty five families and nine orders found on Solanaceous crops, were encountered by using the sweeping net method. Data also, revealed that, all the Solanaceous crops infest with the piercing sucking pests, but with a variable degree, eggplant received a higher mean number with the piercing sucking pests, followed by potato, tomato and sweet pepper. A higher infestation with aphid and whitefly to the Soalanceous crops were in March, but the higher infestation with leafhopper and twospotted spider mite to the Solanaceous crops were in May during the two successive seasons.