HOST PLANT – SCALE INSECT, FLORIDA WAX SCALE ceroplastes floridensis (COMST) INTERACTION

The present study was carried out at the experimental farm of Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University during the two seasons; 2010 and 2011 to evaluate the of (blood orange, loquat and mango) to Florida wax scale, Ceroplastes floridensis (Comst). C. floridensis Population fluctuation exhibited three peaks of abundance in blood orange, Loquat and mango orchards. The more favourable host for C. floridensis was blood orange followed by loquat then mango. However, C. floridensis population showed the highest density on blood orange trees and the lowest on mango trees. The average population density of C. floridensis population was (4.53 ± 3.15, 1.36 ± 0.34 and 1.58± 0.36) and (3.28 ± 1.0, 1.44 ± 0.16 and 1.07 ± 0.10) on blood orange, Lquat and mango leaves, respectively. Chemical analysis indicated that loquat and mandarin leaves had the highest percentage of total protein in comparison with blood orange leaves. On the contrary, the pest exhibited the highest population density on Orange leaves. Statistical analysis indicated that there was a significant positive correlation between the changes of total protein contents and C. floridensis population density in all tested host plants. While, there was correlation with the carbohydrates percent.