Deroplax silphoides (Thun.) (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae), a new recorded insect species on Dodonaea viscosa (L.), and its egg parasitoid Trissolcus basalis Woll. (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) in Egypt

Monir M El Husseini,Ata A Ata,Salama I Askar

doi:10.1186/s41938-019-0134-8

Monir M El Husseini, Ata A Ata + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s41938-019-0134-8

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Abstract

The scutellerid shield bug, Deroplax silphoides (Thun.) (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae), is a new recorded insect species (in Egypt) attacking the ornamental plant, Dodonaea viscosa (L.). The bug feeds by sucking sap from flowers and green seeds of this plant and sometimes from the very tender young apical leaves. Abundance of both the bug and its associated egg parasitoid Trissolcus basalis Woll. (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) showed two generations of the bug peaking at the end of March and end of April. Thereafter, the non-parasitized individuals entered a summer aestivation till spring of next year synchronizing with the flowering time of its host plant D. viscosa. The scelionid egg parasitoid, T. basalis, showed also two generation on eggs of the bug in March and April. The parasitism rate reached 68.4 and 70.5% in 2016 and 2017, respectively. The life time fecundity of mated females reached an average of 49.5 ± 2.1 eggs. Adult life span for male and female parasitoid was 19.3 ± 1.0 and 23.5 ± 1.2 days, respectively. Some other biological aspects of the bug and its parasitoid were studied.

Highlights

The shield or jewel bug, Deroplax silphoides (Thun.) (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae), was seen for the first time in Egypt in large numbers on flowers of the ornamental plant Dodonaea viscosa (L.)
According to Ahmad et al (1988), it was identified as Deroplax silphoides (Thunberg); the same species exists in Pakistan (Ahmad et al 1988)
Fluctuation of D. silphoides and its egg parasitoid, T. basalis Egg masses of D. silphoides were always found on the flowers and fruits of the ornamental plant D. viscosa and sometimes on the very young apical leaves

Summary

Introduction

The shield or jewel bug, Deroplax silphoides (Thun.) (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae), was seen for the first time in Egypt in large numbers on flowers of the ornamental plant Dodonaea viscosa (L.) According to Ahmad et al (1988), it was identified as Deroplax silphoides (Thunberg); the same species exists in Pakistan (Ahmad et al 1988). Species of the genus Deroplax inhabits the Oriental region and was recorded in Bangladesh (Scott 1990), the Paleartic in Pakistan (Ahmad et al 1988), Saudi Arabia 2006 and El Hawgary et al 2013) and Israel (Novoselsky et al 2015). It was reported from the Afrotropic region in Madagascar, South Africa (Leston 1953), Senegal Somalia, and Ethiopia (Schoutenden 1904 and Kirkadly 1909). On the other hand, Scott (1990) mentioned it as a potential biocontrol agent against the devil’s weed Trbulus terrestis L. in South Africa

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