Biological studies on fennel wasp, Systole sp. (hymenoptera, eurytomidae) a new record to Egypt [electronic resource].

Includes references.

Fennel plants Foeniculum vulgare L. is one of the umbelliferous belonging to medicinal and aromatic plants which are expected to play an important role in increasing the national income. Many insect pests attack the fennel plants; one of them is the hymenopterous wasp Systole sp., which infests the fennel fruits. This is the first study on this insect in Egypt. The eggs of Systole sp. are laid singly inside the fennel seeds, the egg is oval and transparent bearing longitudinal shape at the apical portion as an airscopic plate. The incubation period was 2.6± 0.5 days. Systole sp. has five larval instars. These larvae are apodous and euocephalous. The average of the total larval duration was 16.06 ± 0.7 days. The pupa is free, the average duration of pupal stage was 3.66± 0.72 days, and the average of adult longevity was 3.26±0.38. The average of duration of one generation (from egg to adult) was 25.6 ± 0.38 days. Data demonstrated that the Systole sp. has two generations per year.

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