POPULATION DYNAMICS OF THE MEALY PLUM APHID HYALOPTERUS PRUNI (GEOFF.) AND ITS ASSOCIATED PARASITOIDS ON PEACH

A.M.A. IBRAHIM AND AMAL.I.AFIFI
Biological Control Laboratory, Fac. Agric., Cairo Univ. , Cairo Egypt

ABSTRACT

In Egypt , Flyalopterus pruni (Geofftoy) is considered as a cosmopolitan pest of peach. The population dynamics of this aphid and its parasitoids, Aphidius colemani Vier. and A. picipes (Nees) on peach (Prunus persica) and reed plants (Arundo donax L.) was studied at Giza region, from December 1992 to November 1993. The aphid and its parasitoids existed allover the year on reed plants and only during nine months from February to October on peach trees. Two peaks of aphid infestation occurred on both hosts; the first during March, and the second during July on peach and August on reed plants. The maximum percentage of parasitism occurred in May (64.5%) and in September (48.8%) on peach and reed plants, respectively.

Key Words: Population dynamics, Hyalopterus pruni, Peach, Reed plants.