ENTOMOFAUNA OF PEPPER PLANTS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE SEASONAL ABUNDANCE OF WHITEFLY BEMISIA TABACI (GENNADIUS)

Pepper plant Capsicum annum L. is a tropical plant of high economic importance. The insect fauna of this plant was not thoroughly studied in Saudi Arabia. The objectives of the current study were to list the insect fauna of pepper plant, to follow up the seasonal abundance of whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) and to evaluate the effect of the plant leaf levels (Upper, middle and lower) on the density of whitefly nymphs. Filed experiments were conducted in Dirab Research Station near Riyadh city from April to September of the two successive years 2000 and 2001. two pepper varieties, California Wonder and Starr, were used Seedlings eight weeks in age were transplanted to field in the first week of April both seasons. Leaves from upper, middle and lower levels were randomly selected at weekly intervals basis throughout the cropping season. The results showed that thirteen insect species belonging to eight orders were conducted. The most prevalent order was Homoptera. The whitefly, B. tabaci, and the green peach aphid, Myzus persiace (Sulzer), were the dominant and most common species. The population density of whitefly fluctuated during the study periods and was negatively correlated with lapse of time. More nymphs were on Starr than on California Wonder variety. The density of nymphs was significantly low on lower than on middle or upper leaves