ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON SUNT BORER, Macrotoma palmata Fab. (COLEOPTERA: CERAMBYCIDAE) INFESTING MANGO ORCHARDS IN EGYPT

Population fluctuation of one of the economically important insect borer Macrotoma palmata Fab. (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) attacking mango trees were monitored at Ismailia Governorate during two successive years (2009 and 2010).Beetles of M. palmata Fab. started their activity season from the 1st / 2nd half of June to 2nd half of October or 1st half of November. Summer months recorded the maximum beetles flight (1.26-1.43 beetles), followed by autumn (0.18-0.26 beetle) and spring (0.04-0.06 beetle) / tree, and stopped during winter. The total number of beetles per year averaged 1.56-1.67 beetles / tree. M. palmata had only one brood and there were 4.5-5.5 months of beetles activity.Effect of weather factors on the borer activity was mostly positively significant with day maximum, day minimum, and day mean temperatures but negatively and insignificantly with day mean relative humidity. Infestation was almost doubled during only one year, thus needed continuous integrated control.