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Prediction of Aulacaspis Tubercularis Newstead
(Hemiptera: Diaspididae) Populations Using RCP
Scenarios in Luxor Governorate, Egypt
Introduction
Mango trees are subjected to infestation by different pests.
Among these pests, the white mango scale insect, Aulacaspis
tubercularis Newstead (Heimptera: Diaspididae) is considered one
of the most destructive pests of mango trees [1]. This hard scale
insect is now widespread in many mango-growing countries. This
pest injures the shoots, twigs, leaves, branches and fruits and sucks
the plant sap with its mouth parts, causing thereafter deformations,
defoliation, drying up of young twigs, dieback, poor blossoming,
death of twigs by the action of the toxic saliva and so affecting
the commercial value of fruits and their validity for exportation
potential especially to late cultivars where it causes conspicuous
pink blemishes around the feeding sites of the scales [2,3]. The
subsequent damage leads to considerable quality and quantity
yield losses and also decrease the marketing value of the fruits.
A characteristic symptom of infestation by A. tubercularis is the
appearance and accumulation of its scales on attacked mango tree
parts [4].
To develop an effective control against A. tubercularis, it is
necessary to know its bio-ecology including population dynamics
and climatic factors influencing its life span and the densities of
*Corresponding author: Moustafa MS Bakry, Scale insects and Mealybugs Research
Department, Plant Protection Research Institute, A.R.C Dokii, Giza, Egypt.
Received Date: July 08, 2019
Published Date: July 16, 2019
ISSN: 2641-6379 DOI: 10.33552/WJASS.2019.02.000549
World Journal of
Agriculture and Soil Science
Research Article Copyright © All rights are reserved by Moustafa MS Bakry
This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License WJASS.MS.ID.000549.
Islam RM El Zoghby
1
and Moustafa MS Bakry
2
*
1
Plant Protection Department, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Aswan University, Egypt
2
Scale insects and Mealybugs Research Department, Plant Protection Research Institute, Egypt
Abstract
The present work was carried out to study the effect of some climatic factors on the population density of the white mango scale insect,
Aulacaspis tubercularis on mango trees during three time series (2011-2040, 2041-2070 and 2071-2100) under four Representative Concentration
Pathway (RCP) scenarios (2.6, 4.5, 6.0 and 8.5) as compared with the current population of the pest (average of population density for two years of
2017 and 2018) at Esna district, Luxor Governorate, Egypt. Monthly estimations of total A. tubercularis population indicated the presence of four
peaks of insect abundance per year. The means of solar radiation were entirely above the optimum range for activities of nymphs, adult females and
total population of A. tubercularis and solar radiation was the most effective variables in population changes by 39.31, 39.38 and 43.50% for nymphs,
adult females and total population of A. tubercularis during the base year data, respectively. The percentages of explained variance (E.V.%) indicated
that the combined effect of these climatic factors viz., maximum temperature, minimum temperature and solar radiation were responsible for 82.37,
77.14 and 85.59 % of the population changes of nymphs, adult females and total population of this scale insect, respectively.
The obtained results revealed the all expected values for numbers of nymphs, adult females and total population of insect during the all different
time series under all different RCPs scenarios were smaller in comparison to the current population of insect. Expected total population of insect will
be smaller at time series of (2071-2100) as compared with the two-time series of (2011-2040) and (2041-2070) under the scenarios of RCPs (2.6,
4.5, 6 and 8.5). Also, the time series of (2071-2100) exhibited higher percentages of decreasing of the number of nymphs, adult females and total
population with averages of (70.37, 48.38 and 60.33%, respectively) as compared to the time series of 2041-2070 (63.01, 47.10 and 55.74%) and
the time series of 2011-2040 (56.04, 44.58 and 50.81%, respectively). Furthermore, the RCP 2.6 scenario exhibited the highest population density
of nymphs, adult females and total population A. tubercularis and the lowest decreasing percentage for population density of different stages of A.
tubercularis as compared with the other RCPs during all different time series.
Keywords: RCPs, Aulacaspis tubercularis; Seasonal activity; Climate change scenarios; Mango