author(s)
M hammed Ehsine, Mohamed Sadok Belkadhi and Mohamed Chaieb

abstract
Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is attacked by many insect pests including species of rhinoceros beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Among rhinoceros beetles, the genus Oryctes is associated with palm trees and is severe pests of date palm. The rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes agamemnon Burmeister (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) was accidentally introduced in the southwestern oases of Tunisia where it becomes a serious pest. In the present study, the spatial distribution of Oryctes agamemnon in the oases of Rjim Maatoug was examined. Data showed that all these oases are infested by this insect but with a percentage of infestation which varies from 20% to 100%. The oases Rjiim1 and Rjiim2 are the least affected by the Oryctes, with 40% and 20% respectively. The others oases showed that all the prospected plots are infested by the pest. The percentage of infested plots by oasis varied between 35 to 100 %. The rates of infected feet and the number of different stadiums by date palm in the plots vary from a geographical location to another inside the oases and from an oasis to another without following a well defined rule. It seems that the average of population per palm tree is not strongly linked to the place of the plots inside the oases.