TOXICITY OF THREE CHEMICALS AND NEEM INSECTICIDE AGAINST SPRING POPULATIONS OF DUBAS BUG, OMMATISSUS LYBICUS DE BERGEVIN (TROPIDUCHIDUE: HOMOPTERA) IN OMAN

The date palm is the main host of dubas bug, which is also known as the palm bug. Dubas bug, Ommatissus lybicus De Bergevin is a destructive pestin Gulf countries. The intensive use of insecticides in Oman to control the dubas bug might lead to resistance. An entomological field study was conducted to test pesticides against dubas bug insect on spring generation in Al-Batinah region in sultanate of Oman. Four pesticides were used: Decis, Oberon, Mospilan and Ecodaneem (which is neem extract) and the control was sprayed by water only. There were no significant differences for the five used plots one day before spraying treatments. Insect densities of alive dubas nymphs after 10 days of the spraying treatments were decreased gradually in the treatments. At the present study, the pesticides treatments were carried in the first week of April which explained the decreased populations of nymphs in all treatments including the control. However, the number of alive nymphs in the Oberon treatment was the highest without significant difference with the control treatment. In conclusion, the efficacy of the tested insecticides was Oberon, Ecodoneem, Mospilan and Decis, in a descending order.