Influence of Abamectin Treatment Against Parlatoria Blanchardii, on Entomological Diversity in the Palm Groves of Ouargla (Algerian Sahara)

Abstract

Landscaping and agricultural practices are very essential to limit the damage of depredators, but unfortunately the latter affects the entomological diversity, especially when using chemicals products. The objective of our study is to determine the effect of abamectin on the balance of the entomological fauna, in three palm groves cultivated with two cultivars (Deghlet Nour and Ghars), during a control against Parlatoria blanchardi, using the date palm leaves threshing method. Indeed, the application of abamectin leads to significant difference in mortality rates (p-value 2.753*10-10), between the study stations, and between the two varieties. The inventory of enthomofauna before product use results in a total of 124 species in both varieties. However, we recorded the lowest number of species at the second station (Deghlet Nour: S=14 sp) and (Ghars: S= 16 sp). The use of the abamectin affects at first beneficial species (S= 10 sp), followed by indifferent species (S= 12 sp) during treatment time. The highest total richness is recorded in the pest group (S= 14 sp), followed by the groups of indifferent species (S=4 sp), then the useful species have disappeared after 72 hours of treatment. The results obtained clearly show that the insecticides used in palm groves constitute a real threat to fauna in general, and for useful species and auxiliaries of Parlatoria blanchardi in particular.