OCCURRENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF INSECT PESTS ATTACKING SOME VEGETABLE PLANTS AT FIVE LOCALITIES OF EL- QASSIM PROVINCE, SAUDI ARABIA

Insect pests attacking cowpea, cucumber and tomato plants along the growth periods, were determined at five localities of El–Qassim Province, Saudi Arabia, during 2009 season. Whitefly, aphids, leaf miners, thrips, lepidopterans and coleopteran were recorded. Frequency occurrence and distribution of these pests were registered along the three periods of growth (seedling period, vegetative period, flowering and fruiting period). At seedling period, thrips and aphid insects occurred at the highest frequency. At vegetative period, leaf miners, whitefly and some lepidopterans were found to be the highest frequency. At flowering and fruiting period aphid, lepidopterans and coleopteran were recorded as the highest numbers of collected insects. There were significant differences in the species and numbers of collected insects among the localities under study. Cucumber was classified as the most resistant crop against the recorded insect pests.