Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T01:03:58.076Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Importance of Alternative Host Plants for the Annual Cycle of the Legume Pod Borer, Maruca vitrata Fabricius (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in Southern and Central Benin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

D. Y. Arodokoun
Affiliation:
Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin (INRAB), Cotonou, Bénin
M. Tamò*
Affiliation:
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Benin Station, Cotonou, Benin
C. Cloutier
Affiliation:
Université Laval, Département de Biologie, Québec, Canada
R. Adeoti
Affiliation:
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Benin Station, Cotonou, Benin
*
Corresponding author: MT. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The use pattern of alternative host plants by Maruca vitrata was investigated in southern and central Benin. Among the wild host plants, Pterocarpus santalinoides, Pueraria phaseoloides and Centrosema pubescens were found to be key relay hosts during the long dry season, Lonchocarpus sericeus and L. cyanescens were the most important hosts during the main rainy season, while Tephrosia platycarpa was an essential relay host during the short wet season in between. Cowpea was the major cultivated host plant and can sustain M. vitrata all year round, if available. However, this pest was able to maintain high population levels exclusively on wild hosts without needing to switch to cultivated crops. The relevance of these findings and their implications for the control of M. vitrata are discussed.

Résumé

L'utilisation des plantes hôtes alternatives par Maruca vitrata Fabricius (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) a été étudiée au sud et au centre du Bénin. Nous avons montré que parmi les plantes hôtes sauvages, Pterocarpus santalinoides, Pueraria phaseoloides et Centrosema pubescens sont les hôtes les plus importants pour l'insecte pendant la grande saison sèche. Lonchocarpus sericeus et L. cyanescens sont plus importants pendant la grande saison pluvieuse, alors que Tephrosia platycarpa est la plante hôte essentielle pour le phytophage durant la période intermédiaire entre la grande saison des pluies et la grande saison sèche. Le niébé est la principale plante hôte cultivée que M. vitrata peut exploiter toute l'année lorsqu'elle est disponible. Toutefois, cet insecte est capable de maintenir des niveaux de population élevés sur les plantes hôtes sauvages en l'absence de culture. L'importance de ces résultats et leurs implications pour le contrôle de M. vitrata sont discutées.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Alghali, A. M. (1993) The effects of some agrometeorological factors on fluctuations of the legume pod borer, Mauca testulalis Geyer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), on two cowpea varieties in Nigeria. Insect Sci. Applic. 12, 5559.Google Scholar
Appert, J. and Deuse, J. (1982) Les ravageurs des cultures vivrières et maraîchères sous les tropiques. Ed. Maisonneuve, G.P. et Larose et ACCT, Paris Ve, 420 pp.Google Scholar
Atachi, P. and Djihou, Z. C. (1994) Record of the host plants of Maruca testulalis (Geyer) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in the Republic of Benin. Ann. Soc. Entomol. France, 30, 169174.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berhaut, J. (1967) Flore du Sénégal. 2e éd. Clairafrique, Dakar, 485 pp.Google Scholar
Berhaut, J. (1976) Flore illustrée du Sénégal: Légumineuses, Papilionaceae. Tome V. Clairafrique, Dakar, 485 pp.Google Scholar
Brader, L. (1979) Integrated pest control in the developing world. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 24, 225254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Busoli, A. C., Lara, F. M. and Silveira, N. S. (1981) Population fluctuations of some pests of the families Pyralidae, Sphingidae, Artiidae and Gelechiidae, (Lepidoptera), in the region of Jaboticabal, SP, and the influence of meteorological factors. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Brasil, 10, 2741.Google Scholar
Denlinger, D. L. (1986) Dormancy in tropical insects. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 31, 239264.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Doutt, R. L. and DeBach, P. (1964) Biological characteristics of entomophagous adults, pp. 145167. In Biological Control of Insect Pests and Weeds (Edited by DeBach, P.). Chapman and Hall, London.Google Scholar
Ezueh, M. I. (1982) Effects of planting dates on pest infestation, yield and harvest quality of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata). Exp. Agric. 18, 311318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huffaker, C. B. and Messenger, P. S. (1964) The concept and significance of natural control, pp. 74117. In Biological Control of Insect Pests and Weeds (Edited by DeBach, P.). Chapman and Hall, London.Google Scholar
Huffaker, C. B., Simmonds, F. J. and Laing, J. E. (1976) The theoretical and empirical basis of biological control, pp. 4178. In Theory and Pratice of Biological Control (Edited by Huffaker, C. B. and Messenger, P. S.). Academic Press, New York.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hutchison, L. D. and Dalziel, M. D. (1958) Flora of West Tropical Africa. Vol I, Part II. The Whitefriars Press Ltd., London and Tonbridge. 828 pp.Google Scholar
Jackai, L. E. N. and Singh, S. R. (1981) Studies of some behavioural aspects of Maruca testulalis on selected species of Crotalaria, and Vigna unguiculata. Trop. Grain Legume Bull. 22, 36.Google Scholar
Jackai, L. E. N. and Singh, S. R. (1983) Suitability of selected leguminous plants for development of Maruca testulalis larvae. Entomol. Exp. Appl. 34, 174178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jackai, L. E. N., Ochieng, R. S. and Raulston, J. R. (1990) Mating and oviposition behaviour in the legume pod borer, Maruca testulalis. Entomol. Exp. Appl. 56, 179186.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jansen, D. H. (1993) Caterpillar seasonality in a Costa Rican dry forest, pp. 448477. In Caterpillars: Ecological and Evolutionary Constraints on Foraging (Edited by Stamp, N. E. and Casey, T. M.). Chapman and Hall, New York.Google Scholar
Jones, R. E. (1987) Reproductive strategies for the seasonal tropics. Insect Sci. Applic. 8, 515521.Google Scholar
Keay, R. W. J., Onechie, C. F. A. and Stanfield, D. P. (1964) Nigerian Trees. Federal Department of Forest Research, Ibadan. Vol. II, 495 pp.Google Scholar
Krischer, J. C. (1989) A Neotropical Companion: An Introduction to the Animals, Plants, and Ecosystems of the New World Tropics. Princeton University Press, Princeton. 436 pp.Google Scholar
Lawton, G. W. (1985) Plant Ecology in West Africa: Systems and Processes. John Wiley and Sons, New York. 357 pp.Google Scholar
Miller, J. C. and Ehler, L. E. (1990) The concept of parasitoid and its relevance to biological control, pp. 159169. In Critical Issues in Biological Control (Edited by Mackauer, M., Ehler, L. E. and Roland, J.). Intercept, Andover, Hants.Google Scholar
Ochieng, R. S. and Bungu, D. O. M. (1983) Studies on the legume pod-borer, Maruca testulalis (Geyer).—IV. A model for mass rearing: Rearing on artificial diet. Insect Sci. Applic. 4, 8388.Google Scholar
Ochieng, R. S., Okeyo-Owuor, J. B. and Dabrowski, Z. T. (1981) Studies on the legume pod-borer, Maruca testulalis (Geyer)—II. Mass-rearing on natural food. Insect Sci. Applic. 1, 269272.Google Scholar
Odebiyi, J. B. (1981) Studies on the biology of the cowpea pod-borer, Maruca testulalis in Kenya—I. Determination of the larval instars. Insect Sci. Applic. 1, 339341.Google Scholar
Okeyo-Owuor, J. B., Agwaro, P. O. and Simbi, C. O. J. (1983) Studies on the legume pod-borer Maruca testulalis Geyer—V. Larval population. Insect Sci. Applic. 4, 7581.Google Scholar
Okeyo-Owuor, J. B. and Ochieng, R. S. (1981) Studies on the legume pod-borer, Maruca testulalis (Geyer)—I. Life cycle and behaviour. Insect Sci. Applic. 1, 263268.Google Scholar
Olaifa, J. I. and Akingbohungbe, A. E. (1982) Seasonal population fluctuations in the black cowpea moth, Cydia ptychora (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Insect Sci. Applic. 3, 7377.Google Scholar
Powell, W. (1986) Enhancing parasitoid activity in crops, pp. 319340. In Insect Parasitoids. 13th-Symp. Royal Entomol. Soc. London, 18–19 September 1985. (Edited by Waage, J. and Greathead, D.). Academic Press, London.Google Scholar
Raina, A. K. and Bell, R. A. (1974) A nondiapausing strain of pink bollworm from southern India. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 67, 685686.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rojo, J. P. (1972) Pterocarpus revised for the world. Phanerogamarum Monographiae (Tomus V). J. Cramer Verlag, Lehre, 119 pp.Google Scholar
Singh, S. R., Jackai, L. E. N., dos Santos, J. H. R. and Adalla, C. B. (1990) Insect pests of cowpeas, pp. 4389. In Insect Pests of Tropical Food Legumes (Edited by Singh, S. R.). John Wiley and Sons, Chichester.Google Scholar
Souza, (de) S. (1988) Flore du Bénin: catalogue des plantes du Bénin. Tome 1, Imprimerie Notre-Dame, Cotonou. 87 pp.Google Scholar
Strong, D. R. (1979) Biogeographic dynamics on insect-pest plant communities. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 24, 89119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tamò, M., Baumgärtner, J. and Arodokoun, D. Y. (1993a) The spatio-temporal distribution of Megalurothrips sjostedti (Trybom) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) life stages on cowpea, and development of sampling plans. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Suisse 66, 1534.Google Scholar
Tamò, M., Baumgärtner, J., Delucchi, V. and Herren, H. R. (1993b) Assessment of key factors responsible for the pest status of the bean flower thrips Megalurothrips sjostedti (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in West Africa. Bull. Entomol. Res. 83, 251258.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tauber, M. J., Tauber, C. A. and Masaki, S. (1986) Seasonal Adaptations of Insects. Oxford University Press, Oxford. 482 pp.Google Scholar
Taylor, T. A. (1967) The bionomics of Maruca testulalis Geyer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), a major pest of cowpea in Nigeria. J. W. Afr. Sci. Assoc. 12, 111129.Google Scholar
Taylor, T. A. (1978) Maruca testulalis: An important pest of tropical grain legumes, pp. 193200. In Pesis of Grain Legumes: Ecology and Control (Edited by Singh, S. R., Van Emden, H. F. and Taylor, T. A.). Academic Press, London and New York.Google Scholar
Van Emden, H. F. (1965) The effects of uncultivated land on the distribution of cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae) on an adjacent crop. J. Appl. Ecol. 2, 171196.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Emden, H. F. (1981) Wild plants in the ecology of insect pests, pp. 251261. In Pests, Pathogens and Vegetation (Edited by Tresh, J. M.). Pitman, London.Google Scholar
Van Emden, H. F. (1990) Plant diversity and natural enemy efficiency in agroecosystems, pp. 6380. In Critical Issues in Biological Control (Edited by Mackauer, M., Ehler, L. S. and Roland, J.). Intercept, Andover, Hants.Google Scholar
Wolda, H. (1980) Seasonality of tropical insect. I. Leafhoppers (Homoptera) in Las Cumbers, Panama. J. Anim. Ecol. 49, 277290.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wolda, H. (1988) Insect seasonality: Why? Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 19, 118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar