Date moth in the Biskra region - Algeria

Attacks by the date moth are one of the problems facing date palms in Algeria. The insect's survival is based on finding the right date varieties for its nutritional needs. The moth selects suitable dates to lay its eggs and feed its larvae depending on the consistency of the dates and their sucrose content. Sucrose is reduced in the attacked dates after it has been broken down enzymatically to produce simpler sugars that the larvae can use to produce the energy they need for their biological activities. Thus the more acidic the environment the more sucrose is degraded. The use of organic compounds by the larvae reduces the weight of the date and increases its fragility. Losses can be as high as 10% per diet. Bagging with agro-textile (PP) has proved more effective than bags (PE) but the effect on production is really negative (massive drop of dates before ripening).