Fauna of Parlatoria blanchardi Scales (Targioni-Tozzetti) on Date Palm Trees (Phoenix dactylifera) in Saudi Arabia

Laila Ali M. Al-Shuraym and Rania Ali El Hadi Mohamed

Background and Objective: Parlatoria blanchardi (Targioni-Tozzetti) is a serious pest cause threatening to date palm trees (Phoenix dactylifera). The study aimed to determine the distribution of Parlatoria blanchardii on the different parts of date palm trees (Phoenix dactylifera). Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted on date palm trees cultivated in a private orchard in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. Four palms trees (El sokary variety) of similar size, age, height and vegetative growth were randomly selected and sampling was conducted at half monthly intervals. Each tree was observed over two year period. Samples were transferred to the laboratory, where they were examined under a stereo-microscope. Results: The obtained results demonstrate that this pest occurred on all date palm tree sections (east, west, north and south facing) and all different surfaces of leaflets, as well as on all frond strata of date palm trees on all the sampling days of the study. There were highly significant differences between the mean numbers of Parlatoria date palm scales on the date palm tree sections facing different cardinal directions and between the different frond strata, as well as between leaflet surfaces during the 2 successive years, when the data were evaluated for combined effects of each whole year. Conclusion: Parlatoria date palm scales prefer the bottom stratum of fronds and the upper surface of leaflets, which had the largest numbers of this pest species on the southern and eastern sides of the trees.

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