THE EFFICACY OF INDIGENOUS PARASITOIDS IN THE BIOLOGICAL-CONTROL OF SIPHONINUS-PHILLYREAE (HOMOPTERA, ALEYRODIDAE) ON POMEGRANATE IN EGYPT

The pomegranate whitefly, Siphoninus phillyreae (Haliday) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) is the most important pest of pomegranate in Egypt. Upper Egypt governorates hosts about 95% of the pomegranate grown in Egypt. Indigenous parasitiods of S. phillyreae, from different localities in Egypt were manipulated, reared and mass produced far classical biolog ical control in Upper Egypt, more than 82,019 parasitoids were release d. Several releases were made between July to October in both 1995 and 1996. Releases of the following indigenous parasitiods of the pomegra nate whitefly in Upper Egypt: Encarsia inaron (Walker), Eretmocerus mu ndus (Mercet), Encarsia lutea Masi, Eretmocerus corni (Haldeman), Enca risa davidi Viggiani, Encarsia galilea Rivnay & Gerling and Eretmoceru s diversicilatus Silvestri (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae). Increases of th e rate of parasitism from 6 to 67% indicate that En. inaron is the mos t effective parasitoid in controlling S. phillyreae in Egypt. Other pa rasitoids found associated with S. phillyreae in other localities in E gypt were manipulated and released in Upper Egypt. Some of these paras itoids became established in the release areas.