Four genera of entomopathogenic fungi and two hyphomycetes were identified from the cadavers of the aphid infesting wheat plants in the two growing seasons of 2013-2014. Entomophthorales was represented by four species belonging to three families; Ancylistaceae represented by Conidiobolus, Entomophthoraceae by Entomophthora planchoniana and Pandora neoaphidis and Neozygitaceae by Neozygites fresenii. The hyphomycetes fungi were represented by two species Beauveria bassiana and Verticillium lecanii which belong to the family Moniliaceae, order Moniliales. Data show that the aphid began to infest wheat plants early during the middle of January when wheat plants were in the stem-elongation stage. Thereafter, numbers of aphids increased gradually to reach a peak, when the plants were at the flowering stage during the third week of February; during the next three weeks the number of the oat aphid declined sharply. Mortality rate with the fungal pathogens was observed from the end of January up to the end of March. The number of cadavers increased gradually to reach the maximum level during the end of March.

The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae is a polyphagous herbivore, attacking apiaceae plants which are rich in defensive secondary metabolites. Thus, M. persicae owns a protective antioxidative response to overcome the host defense. The aim of the present study was to investigate the adaptive antioxidative response of M. persicae against the secondary metabolites of cumin, anise, and coriander. The dietary antioxidants, ascorbic acid and glutathione and enzymatic antioxidants, superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione peroxidase within tissues of M. persicae were measured every two weeks during the infestation season. The obtained results show that Anise could be a good recommended host in the beginning of the infestation season
because it confers escalading levels of ascorbic acid. Coriander and cumin could be a second choice. The variable levels of enzymatic antioxidants during the season indicate the adaptive responses of M. persicae against the plant defensive secondary metabolites.

The distribution and morphology of various sensory organs (sensilla) on the antenna and mouthparts of
Spodoptera littoralis larvae were investigated using scanning electron microscopy. In this study we focused on
the morphological alterations of the antennal and mouthparts sensilla of Spodoptera littoralis last instar
larvae reared on different host plants; alfalfa, cotton, and soybean leaves. Based on our results, we found that
sensillum chaeticum on the antenna was morphologically affected by shifting the host plant since it became longer in those larvae reared on soybean and alfalfa leaves when compared with those reared on cotton leaves. Furthermore, several morphological variations were observed in sensilla trichodea on the labium, mandibles, and labrum by shifting the host plant. In addition, clear morphological changes were observed in sensillum digitiformium on the maxillary palps due to changing the host plant. On the other hand, no morphological changes in antennal basiconic, trichodium and styloconic galeal sensilla styloconica, maxillary campaniform and placodeum sensilla were observed. Taken together, these results showed that shifting host plants of 
Spodoptera littoralis larvae induced plasticity and morphological changes of the antennal and mouthparts
sensilla.

Effect of mating disruption technique, at the rate of 300 PB-Rope dispensers/feddan for suppressing the population and percentage of infestation with the pink bollworm (PBW), Pectinophora gossypiella
(Saunders) was investigated in cotton fields at Assuit Governorate (Upper Egypt), throughout the two successive cotton growing seasons 2013-2014. Catches of PBW moths in the sex pheromone traps and the damage in green bolls were recorded in both treated and control fields. Data showed that moth catches were highly suppressed (near 100%) in the treated field by installation of the dispensers during the 50% flowering growth stage. In addition, % of average infestation in the cotton green bolls was significantly decreased in the treated (1.51&0.89) compared with the control field (20.54 &12.33%) in both seasons, respectively. A significant difference was found in the average yield/feddan estimated at the plot treated with pheromones (10.25 Kent.) compared with the control (6.37 Kent.). This study recommended using only one application of pheromone dispenser during the flowering growth stage of the cotton plants is sufficient to maintain the moth catches and infestation % in green bolls at the lowest level.

The Upper Eocene–Oligocene sequence exposed northwest Birket Qarun; Fayum district covers two rock units, Qasr El-Sagha (Temple and Dir Abu Lifa members) and Gebel Qatrani formations were re-evaluated by sequence stratigraphy. Six depositional sequences were recognized based on facies geometry, and sedimentological aspects. The first sequence (Temple Member) was accumulated under marginal intertidal flat environment indicating highstand deposits. The second (the lower Dir Abu Lifa Member) displays a regressive sedimentary facies starting with progradational delta front environment reflecting lowstand deposits followed upward by a lagoonal environment indicating transgressive/highstand deposits. The third (the top of the Dir Abu Lifa Member) was accumulated under a low sinuosity stream reflecting lowstand deposits. The fourth which constitutes the topmost of Dir Abu Lifa Member initiating …

The Upper Cretaceous deposits represent significant oil reservoirs in several fields of the Gulf of Suez province, Egypt. The present work aims to study these sediments in Ras Budran oil field in view of sequence stratigraphic analysis. Five third-order depositional sequences were determined for the Upper Cretaceous section in Ras Budran field depending on the analysis and interpretation of the integrated well logging and biostratigraphic datasets. The five sequences are separated by six sequence boundaries and were classified into their systems tracts signifying several sedimentation patterns of progradation and retrogradation. The first depositional sequence corresponds to the Cenomanian-early Turonian Raha and Abu Qada formations classifying into transgressive and highstand systems tracts. The second sequence comprises the Late Turonian Wata Formation subdividing into transgressive and highstand …

The Upper Cretaceous Sudr Formation at Wadi El Dakhl, West Gulf of Suez, Egypt, was described based on its diagenetic characteristics and sequence stratigraphy in order to enhance our ability to realize the evolution of the sedimentary basin in the study area. The diagenetic characteristics in the studied succession include the following processes: cementation, recrystallization, compaction, and dolomitization that are particularly sensitive to post-sedimentation evolution. Two depositional sequences (DS-1 and DS-2) were distinguished based on their lithological aspects, facies types, and diagenetic characteristics that were constrained by two sequence boundaries (SB-1 and SB-2). Each sequence was classified into transgressive (TST) and highstand (HST) sediments separated by the deepest marine conditions called the maximum flooding surface (MFS). The sediments were characterized by significant …

The evaluation of groundwater presence by means of seismic wave velocities is of great concern for many hydrological related engineering applications. This work introduces a simple basic procedure to accurately and systematically identify groundwater levels using P-wave and S-wave velocities. This procedure is defined as a seismic reflectivity parameter and based on the seismic reflection coefficients of P-wave and S-wave at the unsaturated/saturated interfaces (i.e., groundwater level). The present procedure is applied to 1045 K-NET sites in Japan. Observed velocity structures, accompanied by their bulk densities and detailed lithology, for the upper 20 m depth are obtained from the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention, Japan. Calculations are carried out considering three distinct lithological conditions – gravel, sand and clay–silt sediments – in order to evaluate the ability of this approach (seismic reflectivity parameter) to detect the groundwater level and assess its practical limitations. The increase of the seismic reflectivity parameter value varies substantially with Poisson's ratio, resembling the relationship between ??/VS and Poisson's ratio in gravel, sand and clay–silt sediments. However, positive seismic reflectivity parameter values indicate groundwater presence, whereas negative seismic reflectivity parameter values indicate lithological variation. The seismic reflectivity parameter can also be used as a relative indicator for groundwater saturation levels. Fair comparisons are established between the seismic reflectivity parameter and the water seismic index technique. However, the seismic reflectivity parameter approach shows consistency with previous theoretical and experimental studies related to variations of ?? and ?? in saturated conditions, whereas the water seismic index shows inconsistency with these previous theoretical and experimental studies and an inability in determining saturation levels and detecting groundwater levels.