Periodic visits covered sugarcane plantations at Attfeih district (Giza Governorate) during 2008 and 2009 seasons for surveying parasitoids of sugarcane soft scale/ Pulvinaria tenuivalvata. Data confirmed that the aphelinid paresitoid, Coccophagus scutellaris is the main parasitoid as it played a natural active role against this pest in nature. Results proved that a number of one to ten parasitoid adults emerged from a single host depending upon the age of the host. The second nymphal instar was the highest preferred for parasitism (96%J while the mature females were the lowest (57%) parasitism. The mean seasonal rate of parasitism was higher in 2009 (46.35%) than 2008 (41.05%J thus indicating that C scutellaris played fJaturally an important role in reducing the population of the pest in sugarcane plantations at Attfeih district. Also/ a field experiment was conducted atn AI-Rawda village (Minta Governorate) during the same seasons (2008 and 2009) in order to increase the proportion of parasitism in P. tenuivalvata infesting sugarcane plantations. Parasitized soft scales were collected from heavily infested sugarcane fields to be released in the area of experiment at a rate of 3 parasitized scales/plant. Releasing led to increases in the number of parasitized soft scales and the percentage of parasitism by 170 and 117%/ respectively in 2008 and 163.1 and 139.8%/ respectively in 2009 sugarcane season |
