Olive Pests and their Biocontrol in Egypt

Olive trees are considered one of the most economically horticultural crops in Egypt. The cultivated area of olive trees in Egypt has been rapidly expanded year after year. It reached about 202743 feddans in 2012 (Agricultural Economic Central Administration, Economics Affairs Sector, Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, 2010). Olive trees in Egypt are infested besides the other scale insects with the olive black scale insect, Saissetia oleae (Olivier) and Hemiberlesia lataniae (Signoret) which cause serious damage for trees and fruits. Scale insects (Homoptera : Coccoidea) are considered as important group of insects attacking olive trees in different locations of the world. Olive trees are infested with different scale insects among them the olive black scale insect, Saissetia oleae (Olivier). Briales and Campos (1986) indicated that there was one generation per year and that the nymphs are overwintered. Oviposition occurred between May and September, peaking in June, settling of 1st instar nymphs began to appear in June.