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Mortality of Pinus halepensis seedlings was investigated in Israel during the first years of natural regeneration after fire, with special emphasis on the role of Matsucoccus josephi, drought and competition. The investigations were conducted in the native natural forest on Mt. Carmel, and in a plantation severely damaged by the scale insect at Horeshim in Samaria. M josephi was the dominant mortality agent during the first five years after regeneration, killing almost 73 % and 54% of the seedlings at Mt. Carmel and Horeshim, respectively. Neither injury nor mortality due to the scale insect was recorded during the first year after regeneration, but subsequently mortality occurred during the third and the fourth years. About 23% of the seedlings died due to drought, interspecific and intraspecific competition. Mortality due to other biotic agents, i.e., Hylastes linearis and Pityophthorus pubescens was practically nil. It is shown that resistance of regenerating population of native P. halepensis on Mt. Carmel to the scale did not differ significantly from that of regeneration of a planted Aleppo pine forest of unknown seed sources at Horeshim, despite differences in the level of injury to the adult trees on each site. Five years after natural seeding seedling density in scale-infested plots is high enough to ensure stand development. This second growth possibly displays lower susceptibility to M. josephi than the present adult population.

Laformation is presented on new occurrences of two homopteran pests, Matsucoccus josephi Bodertheimer et Harpaz (Matsucoccidae) and Pineus pini (Macquart) (Adelgidae), in Israel, Jordan and southern Lebanon. M. josephi occurs in Israel in almost all natural relicts of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis). It infests all plantations of Aleppo pine, brutia pine (Pinus brutia ssp. brutia) and Eldar pine (P. brutia ssp. eldarica) north of 31012 ' lat. N. Hcavy darnage has been observocl in the Judean Foothills, Judean Mts. and northem Sama¡ M. josephi and its specific predator, Elatophilus hebra&us Perieart (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), ate recorded for the first time in Jordan and southem Lebanon. The scale was found in all visited Aleppo pine and brutia pine stands in Jordan and in natural and planted brufia pine in southeastem Lebanon. Darnage by M. josephi in Jordan was observed ordy ha young plantations of Aleppo pine; in Lebanon no signs of injury were recorded. P. p/n/was found for the ftrst time in Jordan, where it causes severe damage to young stands of Aleppo pine and stone pine (Pinuspinea).