ORYCTES ELEGANS, A VECTOR OF FUSARIUM PROLIFERATUM CAUSING WILT DISEASE SYMPTOMS OF DATE PALM

Fusarium proliferatum is an important pathogen worldwide causing devastating diseases in many crucial crops such as date palm, banana, mango, maize, rice, asparagus, onion, and garlic varied between wilt and dieback. Many insects are able to transmit fungi either during feeding process or mechanically via insects ’ movement or laying egg operation. F. proliferatum was isolated from date palm borer Oryctes elegans from five locations in the south of Iraq: Al- Namania, Al-souira, AL- Azezia, Al- Madaan, and Al-Dewania. The fungus was isolated from both insects ’ adults and plant materials from trees that showed wilt symptoms. The results revealed that there was high frequency of fungal isolation from both materials expressing the theory of transmitting F. proliferatum by date palm borer. Al- Madaan samples revealed the highest isolation frequency from both borer adults and plant materials with 62.85 % and 63.63 % respectively; followed by AL- Azezia which showed the highest isolation frequency from insects with 48.33%; while, Al- souira scored the second highest isolation frequency from plant materials with 52.38%