Susceptibility of the sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) to the infestation of Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae) and the different insect pests under greenhouse conditions in Ismailia, Egypt

The sweet pepper, an important export crop in Egypt, has been recently invaded by the two-spotted spider mite (TSSM) in parallel with other insect pests that have the potential to reduce its yield. This study aimed to determine the susceptibility of two sweet pepper cultivars (cv. Mazurka and Cannon) to TSSM infestation. In addition, it aimed to investigate how the cultivar as well as the growing season, might affect the population fluctuations of the pests along with the host plant resistance. Also, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant activities were determined to distinguish between the two cultivars after natural infestation. The TSSM was identified as the primary pest that invaded both cultivars during the two examined growing seasons. In addition to the TSSM, three insect pests (Bemisia tabaci, Frankliniella occidentalis, and Myzus persicae) and four predators (Neoseiulus cucumeris, Phytoseiulus persimilis, Scolothrips longicornis, and Orius laevigatus) were identified. The cv. Cannon was found to have the highest density of TSSM, B. tabaci, and M. persicae than cv. Mazurka demonstrated the highest density of P. persimilis and O. laevigatus. Our findings also revealed that the winter-spring season was highly significant in antioxidant enzyme activities than the summer-fall season. Due to the high chlorophyll and phenol contents, and antioxidant enzyme activity in its leaves, the Mazurka cultivar was more resistant to TSSM and other insect pest infestations. The population density of the two-spotted spider mite and the associated pests change based on season and/or cultivar.