Scale insects and their management in Egypt [electronic resource].

Includes references.

Scale insects are present in different parts of the world. They fall within 23 families. Out of them, 12 families are found in Egypt. The most important families are: armored scale insects (Diaspidldae), mealybugs (Margarodidae and Pseudococcldae) and soft scales (Goccidae). They contain dangerous species that attack different important economic crops in Egypt. Most of the present control procedures are achieved through insecticides spraying of infested plants. As Insecticides being highty toxic, the short term insecticides are sprayed. In other instances mayonnaise emulsions or E.G. formulation of mineral oils are employed specifically to control scale insects. These latter are mostly safe, however some may cause phytotoxicity to certain plants. The research works on rearing, mass rearing and releasing of imported parasitoids and predators began shortly through the three last years only and was formerly discarded and the main impact was through chemical insecticides and rarely safe procedures of 'PM was followed. The struts was to utilize some active predators and to achieve biocontrol through IPM programs by these predators;ccordingly spraying by insecticides began to shrink and to be replaced by other procedures through spray oils and whenever there is a vast and dreadful Infestation chemical control was followed. This resulted in drop down in numbers of predators and parasitoids of scale Insects and most investigations were more or less on the species of these insects existing. The IPM programs through the last three years began to be adopted and need further investigations. This work comprises a brief history on existence and abundance of main families in Egypt including host plants, ecology and biology. The work also explains the different methods of control of these species through IPM programs specially biological controi, while a brief review will show the importance of families other than the aforementioned three families according to its economic importance as well as their effect on economic plants in Egypt.

Summary in Arabic.