Seasonal and Long-Term Population Dynamics of the Peach Fruit Fly in Egypt, Soliman, Mustafa M., EL-Solimany Esmat A., Hesselberg Thomas, and Negm Amira AKH , Insects, Volume 16, Number 4, (2025) AbstractWebsite

The peach fruit fly (Bactrocera zonata), a significant polyphagous pest, poses a considerable threat to fruit crops across its expanding range. Although climate change significantly impacts pest populations, its effects on B. zonata remain understudied. This research examined B. zonata population dynamics across two distinct Egyptian ecological zones (Sohag and Ismailia Governorates) from 2013–2023 using pheromone traps and climate data. Results revealed significant spatial and temporal variations in abundance patterns. Both regions displayed a unimodal distribution, with Sohag exhibiting a distinct peak during September to November, whereas Ismailia showed a broader peak period spanning from August to December. Temperature significantly influenced population levels while precipitation showed no significant effect. Similarly, our results indicated increasing population trends in both regions despite no significant long-term temperature changes. These findings suggest that factors beyond temperature alone, such as host fruit availability, regional environmental variations, and potentially evolving agricultural practices, drive B. zonata population growth, highlighting the need for comprehensive, climate-responsive pest management strategies that account for regional variations.

Trophic transfer of heavy metals across a food chain in a wastewater-irrigated agroecosystem, Soliman, Mustafa, Al-Akeel Rasha, Al-Ghamdi Mariam, Almadiy Abdulrhman, Rawi Sayed, Zhang Wei, Dhafer Hathal Al, Mohamed Amr, Naggar Yahya Al, and Salem Abeer M. , 2024, Volume 196, Issue 11, p.1082, (2024) AbstractWebsite

Wastewater irrigation is often practiced in arid regions, which can increase the chance of heavy metals contaminating the agricultural system. This contamination poses risks to both the environment and human health. This research looked into how cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) move through a food chain involving soil, plants, and arthropods. The study was conducted in El-Gabal El-Asfar, Egypt, comparing treated and untreated wastewater irrigation areas. Six soil-irrigated sites and one reference site were sampled for soil, alfalfa (Medicago sativa), two grasshopper species (Aiolopus thalassinus and Calephorus compressicornis), and a wolf spider (Hogna ferox). The samples were analyzed for their heavy metal content. Metal concentrations in all components of the wastewater irrigated system were significantly higher compared to the reference site. The wolf spider and the soil contained the highest levels of Cd, Pb, and Cu, while the greatest concentrations of Zn were found in the spider and grasshoppers. Despite limited transfer from soil to plant, trace elements biomagnified within the terrestrial food chain, specifically from grasshoppers to wolf spiders. The correlation analysis of metal levels between soils, plants, and arthropods in the present study reflects its transfer across the trophic levels. It suggests that dietary intake is the main source of metal accumulation in arthropods. The present study, therefore, quite clearly indicated the possibility of heavy metal biomagnification in terrestrial food chains of wastewater-irrigated agroecosystems. Continuous monitoring and management of such systems are advocated to avoid environmental and public health risks.

Climate change and geographical distribution projections for major leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Saudi Arabia, Abdel-Dayem, Mahmoud S., Al Dhafer Hathal M., Soliman Ahmed M., Al Ansi Amin N., El-Sonbati Saad A., Ishag Alrabea A. E., Mohamed Amr, and Soliman Mustafa , Journal of Economic Entomology, 03, p.toaf046, (2025) AbstractWebsite

Climate change has a substantial impact on the quality and diversity of insect pests, which may have adverse ecological and economic effects. The family Chrysomelidae represents one of the most economically and ecologically important groups within Coleoptera, with species acting as agricultural pests and contributing substantially to biodiversity in arid regions. Based on bioclimatic, topographic, and vegetation data, the current and future distributions of 4 chrysomelids (Caryedon acaciae (Gyllenhal, 1833), Chaetocnema pulla Chapuis, 1879, Phyllotreta cheiranthi Weise, 1903, and Spermophagus sericeus (Geoffroy, 1785)) in Saudi Arabia were predicted using MaxEnt modeling for 2050 under 2 Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), SSP126 (low emission) and SSP585 (high emission) scenarios. The leaf beetle models showed strong performance, with average area under the curve (AUC) values ranging from 0.86 to 0.96 and average TSS values ranging from 0.52 to 0.65. Five predictors were chosen for each species from 21 environmental variables. The results show that the key ecological factors that influence species distributions varied, with vegetation being the most influential. According to habitat suitability maps, in the future, such distribution will be severely altered, mostly by climate change. More precisely, C. acaciae will face minor range shifts, while C. pulla, P. cheiranthi, and S. sericeus will expand their ranges substantially, especially in the Eastern Province. Our results confirm the importance of implementing adaptive pest-management strategies to address the potential range expansions of various agricultural pests, which could intensify local ecological challenges and pose a heightened threat to agricultural systems.

Re-emergence of Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) in Egypt: Predicting distribution shifts under climate changes., Soliman, Mustafa M., El-Hawagry Magdi Shaaban Ali, and Samy Abdallah M. , Medical and veterinary entomology, (2025) AbstractWebsite
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The Impacts of Cadmium, an Environmental Pollutant, on Honeybees (Apis Mellifira, Hymenoptera: Apidae): A Review, Mohammed, Ola Elsayed, Elshazly Mohamed M., Soliman Mustafa M., and Hashish Mohamed E. , Egyptian Journal of Chemistry, (2024) AbstractWebsite
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{Limited genetic variability and spatial population structure in grasshoppers between natural and metal-contaminated areas in Egypt}, Soliman, Mustafa, Almadiy Abdulrhman, Al-Akeel Rasha, Hesselberg Thomas, and Mohamed Amr , Journal of Insect Science, 03, Volume 24, Number 2, p.12, (2024) AbstractWebsite

{Pollutants in an environment can have long-term implications for the species living there, resulting in local adaptations with implications for their genetic structure. Heavy metal pollutants infiltrate soils and groundwater, bioaccumulate in food webs, and negatively impact biota. In this study, we investigated the degree to which the genetic structure and variability of the slender green-winged grasshopper (Aiolopus thalassinus (Fabricius) (Orthoptera: Acrididae)) were impacted by heavy metal pollution and distance. We used the random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) method to examine the genetic variability of populations in 3 heavy metal-polluted and 3 unpolluted locations across varying geographical distances in Egypt. The heavy metal concentrations of cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc were measured from the grasshopper tissue and soils. Sixty-nine unique and polymorphic bands were produced by 4 primers. Cluster and principal component analyses separated the populations inside and outside Cairo into 2 main branches, which were further divided into smaller branches corresponding to their geographical regions. We found no differences in the Shannon genetic diversity index between populations or with increasing heavy metal concentrations in either the soil or the grasshopper tissue. Our results showed a greater genetic variation among populations than between populations within the same location, indicating populations within locations were less differentiated than those between locations. The moderate correlation between genetic similarity and spatial distance suggests geographical isolation influenced grasshopper population differentiation. Based on the RAPD analysis, environmental pollutants and geographical distances impact the A. thalassinus population structure, potentially restricting gene flow between sites even at small spatial scales.}

Effects of Climatic Change on Potential Distribution of Spogostylum ocyale (Diptera: Bombyliidae) in the Middle East Using Maxent Modelling, Soliman, Mustafa M., Al-Khalaf Areej A., and El-Hawagry Magdi S. A. , Insects, 2023, Volume 14, Issue 2, (2023) Abstract

Spogostylum ocyale (Wiedemann 1828) is a large robust species of bee fly (family Bombyliidae), known to be a larval ectoparasitoid as well as an important flower pollinator as an adult. This species has become extremely rare or has disappeared from many of its historic habitats due to substantial changes in floral and faunal compositions in recent years. Climate change and urbanisation, together with other anthropogenic activities, may be to blame for these changes. Distribution modelling based on environmental variables together with known occurrences is a powerful tool in analytical biology, with applications in ecology, evolution, conservation management, epidemiology and other fields. Based on climatological and topographic data, the current and future distributions of the parasitoid in the Middle East region was predicted using the maximum entropy model (Maxent). The model performance was satisfactory (AUC mean = 0.834; TSS mean = 0.606) and revealed a good potential distribution for S. ocyale featured by the selected factors. A set of seven predictors was chosen from 19 bioclimatic variables and one topographic variable. The results show that the distribution of S. ocyale is mainly affected by the maximum temperature of the warmest period (Bio5) and temperature annual range (Bio7). According to the habitat suitability map, coastal regions with warm summers and cold winters had high to medium suitability. However, future scenarios predict a progressive decline in the extent of suitable habitats with global climate warming. These findings lead to robust conservation management measures in current or future conservation planning.

Qualitative structure-activity relationships of aryl isoprenoid derivatives as biorational juvenoids — reweighing, Almadiy, Abdulrhman A., Al-Ghamdi Mariam S., Al-Akeel Rasha K., Soliman Mustafa M., and Ali Mona M. , 2023, (2023) AbstractWebsite

Juvenoids are juvenile hormone (JH) mimetics, with specific structural features and defined molecular size that disrupt the target insect development. Juvenoid activity (= JH-type activity) of various isoprenoid-based derivatives as insecticidal candidates of the insect growth disruptors (IGDs) type were rated against the house fly, Musca domestica L. The epoxidized decenyl and nonenyl phenyl ether derivatives have more active compounds than those of both parent alkoxidized or olefinic structures. The highest juvenoid potency was shown by 3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl ethers of 8,9-epoxy-5,9-dimethy1-3,8-decadiene. Qualitative structure-activity relationships are offered to relate the chemical structure criteria to observed juvenoid-related activity. Differences in activity among the reported isoprenoid-based derivatives were qualitatively rationalized. This study advances understanding of the structural qualifications and activity determinants of isoprenoid juvenoids, which is important for the development of new filth flies eco-friendly insecticides.

Zoogeography and diversity patterns of the family Cicadellidae (Hemiptera) in Toshka Region, Egypt, Soliman, Mustafa M., El-Hady Rabab M., and El-Hawagry Magdi S. A. , Journal of Natural History, Volume 56, Number 25-28, p.1199-1213, (2022) AbstractWebsite

ABSTRACTLeafhoppers (family: Cicadellidae) are among the most common plant sap-sucking pests, causing damage to wild and agronomic plants worldwide. The current paper aims to assess the zoogeography, diversity and population dynamics of the leafhopper species in an agricultural land converted ecosystem. Twenty species (two identified only to the genus level) belonging to 17 genera, 10 tribes, and three subfamilies were collected from Toshka Region, Aswan Governorate, Egypt, in 2020. The most common cicadellid species was Orosius albicinctus, representing 46.7% of the total catch. Low values of species richness and diversity were measured for leafhopper species as compared with those reported in our recent study carried out in Alexandria and Qena governorates. In sum, conversion of any natural ecosystem to agricultural land uses may cause declines in insect diversity. However, desert conversion may increase the diversity pattern of some insect pests. Analysis of the zoogeographic affinities of the leafhopper species from Toshka Region indicated a closer affiliation to the Palaearctic Region (35%) than any other region. Most leafhopper populations exhibited a unimodal seasonal pattern and were abundant in hot and dry months (May–September). The abundance of some leafhopper species correlated positively with temperature (seven species) and negatively with relative humidity (nine species). Six of these species correlated with both variables. This study is the first to investigate leafhopper communities in a converted ecosystem of Toshka Depression, Western Desert.

Trophic transfer of heavy metals along a pollution gradient in a terrestrial agro-industrial food web, Soliman, Mustafa M., Hesselberg Thomas, Mohamed Amr A., and Renault David , Geoderma, Volume 413, p.115748, (2022) AbstractWebsite

Heavy metal contamination across the food web is a growing concern because of increasing environmental discharges in industrial zones, atmospheric transport, and deposition and erosion during rainfall events. We examined the transfer pathways of chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni) through a terrestrial trophic web and investigated the potential for their bioaccumulation along the trophic chain. Soil, plants, arthropods, and vertebrates were sampled from different localities in the south of Cairo (El-Tebbin, Egypt) and the amounts of Cr and Ni from these samples were measured. We also computed a body condition index (BCI) for vertebrates to estimate individual health and fitness levels in relation to heavy metal concentrations in the liver. The levels of Cr and Ni varied significantly among the samples. Lower trophic levels showed a tendency for biomagnification, while higher trophic levels showed possible biodilution of the two heavy metals: arthropods, amphibians, and lizards concentrated more Cr and Ni than the other taxonomic groups; conversely birds and small mammals generally showed lower levels of Cr and Ni. A negative relationship was obtained when the concentrations of Cr in the soil, plant, and arthropods, and the concentrations of Ni in the wolf spider were plotted as a function of the distance to the industrial area. A significant inverse relationship was found between the Ni concentration of liver and body length, while body mass had no significant effect. Our study thus highlights the varied effects of heavy metal concentrations across a complex food web at different distances from the pollution source, and the need for further studies of their effect on multiple species in an ecosystem.

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