<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>This study aims to update the list of Nitidulidae species observed on date palms in Algeria (Ziban region), their spatial dynamics according to the development stages (larva, pupa, adult), and the effectiveness of the bagging operation. In 2020, we sampled and examined 1800 dates of the Deglet Nour variety from three palm groves managed with different protection modes: yellow bagging, white bagging, and no bagging. The results obtained mention the presence of nine species of Nitidulidae with five species reported for the first time on dates in Algeria. The highest relative abundance (RA) of Nitidulidae beetles was noted in the southern (28%) direction. However, the variation of infestation rate (IR) according to the direction was not very accentuated. The GLM analysis showed that, except for the adult stage, the direction presented a highly significant effect on the RA variation of the total Nitudilidae, the larva and pupa stages (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.0001), but there was no significant effect of direction on the IR in all studied cases. The highest RA of total Nitidulidae was found on the white plastic-protected dates (RA = 42%), the IR of the total Nitidulidae was higher on dates protected by yellow plastic (IR = 38%). The unprotected dates recorded the lowest RA and IR for all studied cases and the effect of bagging type on the RA variation of Nitidulidae, in all studied cases, was statistically highly significant (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.0001). This effect on the IR was very highly significant only for total Nitudilidae, larvae, and adults (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.0001). So, the southern direction presents the best conditions for sheltering the largest numbers of Nitidulidae. The latter also has a marked preference for bunches covered by plastic bags rather than for those left uncovered. This implies the ineffectiveness of the operation of protecting dates with plastic bags, especially the yellow-coloured ones.</p>
</abstract>

This study aims to update the list of Nitidulidae species observed on date palms in Algeria (Ziban region), their spatial dynamics according to the development stages (larva, pupa, adult), and the effectiveness of the bagging operation. In 2020, we sampled and examined 1800 dates of the Deglet Nour variety from three palm groves managed with different protection modes: yellow bagging, white bagging, and no bagging. The results obtained mention the presence of nine species of Nitidulidae with five species reported for the first time on dates in Algeria. The highest relative abundance (RA) of Nitidulidae beetles was noted in the southern (28%) direction. However, the variation of infestation rate (IR) according to the direction was not very accentuated. The GLM analysis showed that, except for the adult stage, the direction presented a highly significant effect on the RA variation of the total Nitudilidae, the larva and pupa stages (p < 0.0001), but there was no significant effect of direction on the IR in all studied cases. The highest RA of total Nitidulidae was found on the white plastic-protected dates (RA = 42%), the IR of the total Nitidulidae was higher on dates protected by yellow plastic (IR = 38%). The unprotected dates recorded the lowest RA and IR for all studied cases and the effect of bagging type on the RA variation of Nitidulidae, in all studied cases, was statistically highly significant (p < 0.0001). This effect on the IR was very highly significant only for total Nitudilidae, larvae, and adults (p < 0.0001). So, the southern direction presents the best conditions for sheltering the largest numbers of Nitidulidae. The latter also has a marked preference for bunches covered by plastic bags rather than for those left uncovered. This implies the ineffectiveness of the operation of protecting dates with plastic bags, especially the yellow-coloured ones.

Sap beetles (Nitidulidae) of date palms of the Deglet Nour variety in the Ziban region (Algeria): distribution patterns and effectiveness of date bunch bagging

Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Sciences

Laboratory Biodiversity, Biotechnology and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Nature and Life Sciences

Laboratory of Biosystematics and Ecology of Arthropods

Agricultura Tropica et Subtropica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

This study aims to update the list of Nitidulidae species observed on date palms in Algeria (Ziban region), their spatial dynamics according to the development...

Sap beetles (Nitidulidae) of date palms of the Deglet Nour variety in the Ziban region (Algeria): distribution patterns and effectiveness of date bunch bagging

Publicado en línea: 02 mar 2024

Páginas: 12 - 22

Recibido: 19 sept 2023

Aceptado: 19 feb 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ats-2024-0002

Palabras clave
infestation rate, relative abundance, spatial dynamics, stages of development, date palm

© 2024 Wahiba Boukhelouf et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Sap beetles (Nitidulidae) of date palms of the Deglet Nour variety in the Ziban region (Algeria): distribution patterns and effectiveness of date bunch bagging

Publicado en línea: 02 mar 2024

Páginas: 12 - 22

Recibido: 19 sept 2023

Aceptado: 19 feb 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ats-2024-0002

Palabras claveinfestation rate, relative abundance, spatial dynamics, stages of development, date palm

© 2024 Wahiba Boukhelouf et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Palabras clave
infestation rate, relative abundance, spatial dynamics, stages of development, date palm