Laboratory experiments were undertaken to study the relationships between the solitary endoparasitoid Microplitis rufiventris Kok. in the Egyptian cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.) fed on the bacterial pathogen, Bacillus thuringiensis Berl. and infected with the fungus Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. Many effects were observed on the parasitoid after treating host larvae with the entomopathogens such as: prolongation of the total developmental period, abnormality of the cocoons induced inside the host larvae and reduction in the percentage of adult emergence. Antagonism between the bacterium, B. thuringiensis and the fungus, B. bassiana in the host‐parasitoid system, Spodoptera/Microplitis affected pronouncely the mortality, as it was decreased in host and increased in the parasitoid. Zusammenfassung Beziehungen zwischen den Pathogenen Bacillus thuringiensis Berl. und Beauveria bassiana (Beds.) Vuill. einerseits und dem Wirt/Parasitoid‐System Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.)/Microplitis rufiventris Kok. andererseits Es wurden Laborexperimente durchgeführt, um die Beziehungen zwischen dem solitären Endoparasiten Microplitis rufiventris Kok. in der ägyptischen Baumwolleule Spodoptera litteralis (Boisd.) nach Fütterung der Raupen mit dem Bakterium Bacillus thuringiensis Berl. sowie nach Infektion mit dem Pilz Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. zu untersuchen. Zahlreiche Wirkungen wurden beobachtet wie z.B.: Verlängerung der Gesamtentwicklung, Abnormalität der Kokons im Innern der Wirtsraupen sowie Verringerung des Adultenschlüpfens. Eine antagonistische Beziehung zwischen Bacillus thuringiensis und Beauveria bassiana führte im Wirt/Parasitoid‐System Spodoptera/Microplitis zu stark erhöhter Mortalität des Parasitoiden.

This work is a study to evaluate the effect of some botanicals-based food mixtures added to sucrose syrup and offered to honeybee colonies on the development of Varroa infestation, brood rearing activity and clover honey yield during 2016/2017. The experiments were performed in the apiary of Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University. Summarized results are as follow: The rate of Varroa infestation increased gradually during summer season until recording the highest value in November. The food mixture composed of lemon juice + garlic extract reduced significantly the rate of Varroa infestation as compared to the control in all seasons of the year by 37.02-55.40%. The mixtures composed of parnove extract + orange juice and thyme extract + orange juice reduced significantly the rate of Varroa infestation during the period extended from February to August, recording the range of 35.82-45.47 and 34.78-48.13% reduction, respectively. The highest brood area (inch 2) was recorded during summer season followed closely by that of spring season, whereas the least activity was noticed in autumn season. The food mixture composed of lemon juice + garlic extract induced the highest brood rearing activity in all seasons of the year. The mixture of parnove extract + orange juice came in the second class. On the other hand, the mixture composed of thyme extract + orange juice showed the least brood rearing activity, being lower than the control. The mean clover honey yield recorded 5.00, 1.70, 6.50 and 4.00 kg/colony in 2016; 3.90, 2.00, 5.60 and 1.50 kg/colony in 2017 which offered the additive mixtures of parnove extract + orange juice, thyme extract + orange juice, lemon juice + garlic extract and sucrose syrup (control), respectively. The respective two years mean clover honey yield recorded 4.45, 1.85, 6.05 and 2.75 kg/colony.

This work was carried out during spring and early summer of 2015 in Apiculture and Sericulture Research Laboratory, Plant Protection Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Egypt for evaluating biological and physiological effects of 18 different diets as compared with control fed on sucrose syrup (1:1) on caged worker bees. The longest leathal time 50 (the time at which 50% of bees were dead) (LT 50 ) and leathal time 90 (the time at which 90% of bees were dead) (LT 90 ) and the maximal activity surface area of hypopharyngeal gland (HP) acini were recorded for caged bees fed on diet 16; composed of 4.5 pollen: 4.5 banana: 1 coriander: 90 sucrose (35.8, 54.1 days and 0.64 mm 2 , respectively), followed descindingly by diet 18; 4.5 pollen: 4.5 date paste: 1 coriander: 90 sucrose (35.0, 50.2 days and 0.56 mm 2 , respectively) and diet 12; 4.5 lentil flour: 4.5 date paste: 1 coriander: 90 sucrose (28.9, 38.5 days and 0.54 mm 2 , respectively). The heaviest mean body weight was detected in case of the caged bees fed on diet 14; 4.5 pollen: 4.5 guava: 1 santonica: 90 sucrose (95.33 mg), followed by diet 16; 4.5 pollen: 4.5 banana: 1 coriander: 90 sucrose (88.92 mg), and diet 18; 4.5 pollen : 4.5 date paste: 1 coriander : 90 sucrose (86.38 mg) and diet 12; 4.5 lentil flour: 4.5 date paste: 1 coriander : 90 sucrose (81.75 mg). Therefore, survival and development of hypopharyngeal (HP) of caged bees could be depend upon for evaluating the efficiency of the test feed.

Governorate during 2007 season, to evaluate the efficiency of camphor salt, peppermint extract, thymol and formic acid (60 %) as control agents against Varroa mite infesting honeybee colonies. Data obtained could be summarized as follows: 1-Mite infestation was reduced by 69.01, 48.92, 75.95 and 90.12 % when the colonies were treated with camphor salt, peppermint extract, thymol crystals and formic acid, respectively. 2-The infested workers suffered 21.87 % reduction in body weight while treating infested colonies with camphor salt, peppermint extract, thymol crystals and formic acid decreased the reduction in body weight to 11.84, 13.87, 5.91 and 2.63 %, respectively. 3-Varroa infested colonies showed severe reduction (47.96 %) in the sealed brood area reared as compared to that of healthy ones. Treating infested colonies with the test control agents decreased the reduction taken place in sealed brood area, as it attained 20. 85, 29.58, 15.69 and 13.11 % for the treated colonies with test agents, respectively. 4-The mean annual honey yield (citrus and clover) of healthy, Varroa infested (non treated) colonies and those treated with camphor salt, peppermint extract, thymol crystals and formic acid recorded 8.06, 3.

EFFECT OT SIL{DIIiG ON HONEYBEI COLONIES BROOI) RfARI\iC {CTI\'ITY AND IION[Y PRODTICTION iRc.ei\ed 28. l. 2001) BY S.I. Yousif-I{ha)it .