Insect Pests Attacking Vegetable Crops in the State of Qatar (Abstract)

Abstract

The area cultivated with vegetable crops in the State of Qatar reached, during 1979 and 1980, a percentage of about 42.9 % of the total cultivated (or suitable to be cultivated) area. Vegetable crops selected for collecting insect pests from them were nineteen in number. They were : tomato, eggplant, pepper, potato, watermelon, cantaloupe, wild cucumber, squash, cucumber, carrot, onion, cabbage, cauliflower, turnip, radish, lettuce, chorchorus, okra or ladies fingers and spinach. These vegetables were distributed among several districts located in north, middle and south parts of Qatar. Insect pests collected during the two-year period revealed the following : 1. The total collected insect species were 37 species. 2. Ten species of insect pests, each attacked one vegetable crop only. 3. Four species of insect pests, each attacked two crops only. 4. Three insect species, each attacked three vegetable crops only. 5. Five insect species, each attacked four crops only. 6. Six insect species, each attacked from 5 .to 7 vegetable crops. 7. Nine insect species, each attacked ten or more — reaching nineteen — vegetable crops. Certain environmental factors were recorded, in order to throw light on the activities'of the insect pests collected. The limiting factor in pest distribution seemed to be the kind of vegetable crop. Rather than the dominating environmental factor.