Geographic distribution and impact of Eurytoma plotnikovi Nik . ( Hymenoptera : Eurytomidae ) and Megastigmus pistaciae Walk . ( Hymenoptera : Torymidae ), insects damaging pistachio nuts in Tunisia
2010
Braham, M | Smiri, H | Cherif, R
The geographic distribution, the presence and damage levels of Eurytoma plotnikovi Nik. and Megastigmus pistaciae Walk., insects attacking Pistachio nuts (Pistacia vera L.) were assessed in eleven different prefectures covering almost all growing pistachio regions from the north to the south of Tunisia during the period 2001-2007. Nuts were collected by picking at random 10 to 450 from trees when they were still present or collected on the ground after harvest. A total of 85 sites were surveyed of which 67 were inspected once, one site twice, one site 3 times, one site 6 times and one site 7 times. Sixty-three out of 85 sites were infested of which nearly three-quarters were composed with E. plotnikovi alone, 19% of infested sites had both insects species and only 6% held M. pistaciae alone. The analysis of pest impact on Pistachio nuts showed that E. plotnikovi was the most damaging species destroying up to 96.6% of nuts in some sites
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