P.N. Deligeorgidis*, N.P. Deligeorgidis, C.G. Ipsilandis, P. Kadoglidou, M. Vayopoulou and G. Pessios
The purpose of this study was to monitor population fluctuations of various species of Hemiptera during the growing season of durum wheat, in years 2009 and 2010. Samplings of insects were taken in eight periods to cover the late stages of durum wheat. Five Hemiptera species were recognized, three Pentatomoidea and two aphids. Sampling period showed the greatest differences (p< 0.00001). The obtained data showed that in the first sampling period, Pentatomoidea insect populations were low, reaching maximum between 4th and 5th period, except for Eurygaster maura which exhibited maximum between 3rd and 4th period. The aphid species exhibited almost the same behavior, where Sitobion avenae showed a rather unstable behavior in the second year of monitoring, but interaction between year and sampling periods was not found. E. austriaca, showed a few differences in number of individuals (p< 0.005) between the two years of experimentation. Maximum number of insect indidividuals found on each plant was between 7-8 for all insect species and total average values were lower. Toxoptera gramineum, showed the highest total average values for both years of monitoring, but this population size is not considered capable to cause serious damages. Damage level must always have to be decided in combination to other insect pest species. Cold weather may reduce total insect population, but it seems that within these years while temperature is increasing populations of the Hemiptera species tend to be lower.
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