Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T13:38:02.338Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Changes in the distribution of lepidopteran maize stemborers in Kenya from the 1950s to 1990s

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

Zhou Guofa
Affiliation:
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya
William A. Overholt
Affiliation:
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya
Moses B. Mochiah
Affiliation:
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya
Get access

Abstract

Three hundred and ninety-two maize fields in the southern arable zone of Kenya were sampled for lepidopteran cereal stemborers from 1996–2000. Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) was the most abundant stemborer, and was found at all locations with elevations below 1500 m, and at some locations between 1500 and 2300 m. The highest density of C. partellus was in the semi-arid ecological zone of eastern Kenya. Chilo orichalcociliellus (Strand) was found in the lowland southern coastal area, and a few inland sites on the border of Tanzania in southeastern Kenya. Busseola fusca Fuller was dominant in highland areas. In the Lake Victoria Basin, which has an elevation of about 1100 m, B. fusca was dominant at some sites, but overall, C. partellus was more abundant. Sesamia calamistis Hampson was present at all elevations and all locations, but typically at low densities. Eldana saccharina (Walker) was found in two-thirds of the fields sampled in the Lake Victoria Basin. These results are compared with the distributions of the various stemborers in the 1950s to 1960s, as reported in the literature.

Résumé

Trois cent quatre vingt douze champs de maïs ont été échantillonnés dans la zone arable du sud Kenya pour les lépidoptères foreurs de tiges entre 1996 et 2000. Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) est le foreur le plus abondant, il a été trouvé dans toutes les localités situées à une altitude inférieure à 1500 m, et dans certaines localités entre 1500 et 2300 m. La plus forte densité de C. partellus a été trouvée dans les zones écologiques semi-arides de l'Est du Kenya. On trouve Chilo orichalcociliellus dans les basses terres de la zone côtière sud et dans plusieurs localités de l'intérieur des terres près de la frontière tanzanienne au sud-est du Kenya. Busseola fusca Fuller est dominant dans les hautes terres. Près du bassin du lac Victoria, qui a une altitude d'environ 1100 m, B. fusca est dominant dans certaines localités, mais d'une manière générale, C. partellus est l'espèce la plus abondante. Sesamia calamistis Hampson est présent à toutes les altitudes et toutes les localités, mais à faibles densités. On trouve Eldana saccharina (Walker) dans deux tiers des champs échantillonnés sur le bassin du lac Victoria. Ces résultats sont comparés avec la distribution des foreurs de tiges des années 1960 et 1960, rapportée dans la litérature.

Type
Research Articles
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 2001

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

Corbett, J. D., Collis, S. N., Bush, B. R., Muchugu, E. I., O'Brien, R. F., Jeske, R. Q., Burton, R. A., Martinez, R. E., Stone, C. M., White, J. W. and Hodson, D. P. (1999) East African country almanacs. A resources base for characterizing the agricultural, natural, and human environments of Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania. Ajoint CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Experiment Station) – Blackland Research Center (Texas A&M University System, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station). Blackland Research Center Report No. 99-06, 2001, CD-ROM.Google Scholar
Hassan, R. M., Corbett, J. D. and Njoroge, K. (1998), pp. 4368. In Maize Technology Development of Transfer: A GIS Application for Research Planning in Kenya. CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon, UK. 230 pp.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kfir, R. (1997) Competitive displacement of Busseola fusca (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) by Chilo partellus (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Ann. Entotnol. Soc. Am. 90, 620624.Google Scholar
Kfir, R., Overholt, W. A., Khan, Z. R. and Polaszek, A. (2002) Biology and management of economically important lepidopteran cereal stem borers in Africa. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 47, 701731.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nye, I. W. B. (1960) The Insect Pests of Graminaceous Crops in East Africa. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London.Google Scholar
Ofomata, V. C., Overholt, W. A., Van Huis, A., Egwuatu, R. I. and Ngi-Song, A. J. (1999) Niche overlap and interspecific association between Chilo partellus and Chilo orichalcociliellus on the Kenya coast. Entomol. Exp. Appl. 93, 141148.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ofomata, V. C., Overholt, W. A., Lux, S. A., Van Huis, A. and Egwuatu, R. I. (2000) Comparative studies on the fecundity, egg survival, larval feeding and development of Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) and Chilo orichalcociliellus Strand (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) on five grasses. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. (In press).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Overholt, W. A., Ngi-Song, A. J., Omwega, C.O., Kimani-Njogu, S. W., Mbapila, J., Sallam, M. N. and Ofomata, V. (1997) A review of the introduction and establishment of Cotesia flavipes Cameron in East Africa for biological control of cereal stemborers. Insect Sci. Applic. 17, 7988.Google Scholar
Seshu Reddy, K. V. (1983) Studies on the stemborer complex of sorghum in Kenya. Insect. Sci. Applic. 4, 310.Google Scholar
Seshu Reddy, K. V. (1988) Assessment of on-farm yield losses in sorghum due to insect pests. Insect Sci. Applic. 9, 679685.Google Scholar
Seshu Reddy, K. V. (1998) Maize and sorghum: East Africa. In African Cereal Stem Borers: Economic Importance, Taxonomy, Natural Enemies and Control (Edited by Polaszek, A.). CAB International. Wallingford, Oxon.Google Scholar
Songa, J. M. (1999) Distribution, importance and management of stemborers (Lepidoptera) in maize production systems of semi-arid eastern Kenya with emphasis on biological control. PhD thesis. Kenyatta Univeristy, Nairobi. 251 pp.Google Scholar
Southwood, T. S. E. (1978) Ecological Methods. Chapman and Hall. 524 pp.Google Scholar
van den Berg, J. (1997) Use of a moth production index to assess the impact of sorghum varieties in management of Chilo partellus in Southern Africa. Insect Sci. Applic. 17, 151155.Google Scholar
van den Berg, J., Van Rensburg, J. B. J. and Pringle, K. L. (1991) Comparative injuriousness of Busseola fusca (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Chilo partellus (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on grain sorghum. Bull. Entomol. Res. 81, 137142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar