Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T14:44:18.557Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Natural Control of the Cereal Stemborers Busseola Fusca and Chilo Partellus in South Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

Rami Kfir
Rami Kfir
Affiliation:
Plant Protection Research Institute, Private Bag X134, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
Get access

Abstract

The stemborers Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), are the most important pests of maize and grain sorghum in South Africa. Parasitoids, pathogens and predators curtailed populations of B. fusca and C. partellus on the crops but their activity was not enough to reduce pest populations to below-economic-damage levels. They also could not prevent the dispersal and subsequent widespread distribution of C. partellus after its introduction into South Africa. Nine parasitoids and hyperparasitoids have been recorded attacking both borer species. These parasitoids are probably more habitat-specific with regard to foraging for hosts than they are host-specific, as they appear to have moved from their indigenous hosts to use C. partellus as a new alternative host. Between 1977 and 1993 three braconids, one eulophid, three ichneumonids, two trichogrammatids and four tachinids were introduced into South Africa from 11 countries for biological control of stemborers. Recoveries of parasitoids were made only short periods after releases and in the vicinity of the release sites. Cold and dry winters, with night temperatures often falling to below freezing, prevail in the Highveld Region which is the major summer-grain-producing area of South Africa. These conditions, and the fact that borers enter diapause in the dry stalks for 7 months in winter, when the crops or other alternative host plants such as grasses do not grow, hamper the establishment of exotic natural enemies in the Highveld Region.

Résumé

Les foreurs de tiges, Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) et Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), sont les plus importants ravageurs du maïs et du grain de sorgho en Afrique du Sud. Parasitoïdes, pathogènes et prédateurs diminuèrent les populations de B. fusca et C. partellus sur les plantes mais leur activité n'était pas suffisante pour réduire les populations des ravageurs au-dessous des niveaux du dommage d'ordre économique. De même qu'ils ne purent pas prévenir la dispersion et la subséquente distribution généralisée de C. partellus après son introduction en Afrique du Sud. Neuf parasitoïdes et hyperparasitoïdes ont été rapportés comme attaquant les deux espèces de foreurs. Pour ces parasitoïdes la spécificité de l'habitat quant il s'agit du fourrage pour hôtes est plus déterminante que la spécificité de l'hôte. Entre 1977 et 1993, trois braconidés, un eulophidé, trois ichnomonidés, deux trichogrammatidés et quatre tachinidés furent introduits en Afrique du Sud en provenace de onze pays pour la lutte biologique contre les foreurs de tiges. Les recouvrements des parasitoïdes furent effectués seulemment après de courtes périodes suivant les lâchers et dans le voisanage des points de lâcher. Des hivers froids et secs, avec des températures nocturnes tombant souvant au-dessous du point de gelée, régnent dans la Région du Haut Veld qui est la zone la plus productrice du grain d'eté de l'Afrique du Sud. Ces conditions, plus le fait que les foreurs entrent en diapause dans les troncs secs pour sept mois pendant lesquels les cultures et d'autres plantes hôtes de rechange telles que les herbes ne poussent pas, handicapent l'établissement des ennemis naturels exotiques dans la Région du Haut Veld.

Keywords

Busseola fuscaChilo partellusstemborerparasitoidpathogenpredatorbiological controlBusseola fuscaChilo partellusforeur de tigesparasitoïdepathogèneprédateurlutte biologique
Type
Articles
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 17 , Special Issue 1: Ecology and Management of Tropical Gramineous Stemborers , March 1997 , pp. 61 - 67
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1997

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

Alam, M. M., Bennet, F. D. and Carl, K. P. (1971) Biological control o. Diatraea saccharalis (F.) in Barbados by Apanteles flavipes Cam. and Lixophaga diatraea Tns. Entomophaga 16, 151–158.Google Scholar
Bate, R., Van Rensburg, G. D. J. and Giliomee, J. H. (1991) Distribution and occurrence of the stem-bore. Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on maize in South Africa. J. Afr. Zool. 105, 11–15.Google Scholar
Bleszynsky, S. (1970) A revision of the world species o. Chilo Zincken (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Bull. Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist. Entomol. 25, 101–195.aGoogle Scholar
CAB (1989) Distribution Maps of Pests, Series A (Agriculture) no. 184, International Institute of Entomology, London.Google Scholar
Du Plessis, C. and Lea, H. A. P. (1943) The maize stalk borer, Calamistis fusca (Hmps.). Bull. Dept. Agric. For., Union of S. Afr. 238, 51 pp.Google Scholar
Duerdon, J. C. (1953) Stem borers of cereal crops at Kongwa, Tanganyika, 1950–52. East Afr. Agric. For. J. 19, 105–119.Google Scholar
Harris, K. M. (1989) Bioecology of sorghum stem borers, pp. 63–71. In International Workshop on Sorghum Stem Borers, 17–20 Nov. 1987 (Edited by Nwanze, K. F.). ICRISAT, India.Google Scholar
Hoekstra, N. and Kfir, R. (1995) Microbial pathogens of cereal stemborers in South Africa. Proc. 10th Cong. Entomol. Soc. Sth. Afr., Grahamstown 69.Google Scholar
Hoekstra, N. and Kfir, R. (1997) Microbial pathogens of the cereal stem borer. Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in South Africa. African Entomology 5, 161–163.Google Scholar
Jepson, W. F. (1954) A Critical Review of the World Literature on the Lepidopterous Stalk Borers of Tropical Graminaceous Crops. Commonw. Inst. Entomol., London, 127 pp.Google Scholar
Kfir, R. (1988) Hibernation by the lepidopteran stalk borers. Busseola fusca and Chilo partellus on grain sorghum. Entomol. Exp. Appl. 48, 31–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kfir, R. (1990) Parasites of the spotted stalk borer. Chilo partellus (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in South Africa. Entomophaga 35, 403–410.Google Scholar
Kfir, R. (1991) Selecting parasites for biological control of lepidopterous stalk borers in summer grain crops in South Africa. Redia 74, 231–236.Google Scholar
Kfir, R. (1992a) Alternative, non-chemical control methods for the stalk borers, Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) and Busseola fusca (Fuller), in summer grain crops in South Africa. Tech. Commun., Dept. Agric. Develop. 232, 99–103.Google Scholar
Kfir, R. (1992b) Seasonal abundance of the stem borer Chilo partellus (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and its parasites on summer grain crops. J. Econ. Entomol. 85, 518–529.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kfir, R. (1994) Attempts at biological control of the stem bore. Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)in South Africa. African Entomology 2, 67–68.Google Scholar
Kfir, R. (1995) Parasitoids of the African maize stem borer. Busseola fusca (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in South Africa. Bull. Entomol. Res. 85, 369–377.Google Scholar
Kfir, R. and Bell, R. (1993) Intraseasonal changes in populations of the African maize stem borer. Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in Natal, South Africa. J. Afr. Zool. 107, 543–553.Google Scholar
Kfir, R., Van Hamburg, H. and Van Vuuren, R. (1989) Effect of stubble treatment on the post-diapause emergence of the stalk bore. Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Crop Protection 8, 289–292.Google Scholar
Mally, C. W. (1920) The maize stalk borer, Busseola fusca Fuller. Bull, Dept. Agric, Union of S. Afr. 3, 111 pp.Google Scholar
Matthee, J. J. (1974) Pests of graminaceous crops in South Africa. Entomol. Memoir, Dept. Agric. Technical Services, Repub. S. Afr. 40, 24 pp.Google Scholar
Mohyuddin, A. I. (1971) Comparative biology and ecology o. Apanteles flavipes (Cam.) and A. sesamiae Cam. as parasites of graminaceous borers. Bull. Entomol. Res. 59, 681–689.Google Scholar
Sithole, S. Z. (1989) Sorghum stem borers in southern Africa, pp. 41–47. In International Workshop on Sorghum Stem Borers, 17–20 November 1987 (Edited by Nwanze, K. F.). ICRISAT, India.Google Scholar
Skoroszewski, R. W. and Van Hamburg, H. (1987) The release o. Apanteles flavipes (Cameron) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)against stalk- borers of maize and grain-sorghum in South Africa. J. Entomol. Soc. Sth. Afr. 50, 249–255.Google Scholar
Tams, W. H. T. (1932) New species of African Heterocera. Entomologist 65, 1241–1249.Google Scholar
Van Hamburg, H. (1979) The grain-sorghum stalk-borer. Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae): Seasonal changes in adult populations in grain sorghum in the Transvaal. J. Entomol. Soc. Sth. Afr. 42, 1–9.Google Scholar
Van Hamburg, H. (1987) A biological control approach to pest management on grain crops with special reference to the control of stalk borers. Tech. Commun., Dept. Agric. Water Supply, Repub. S. Afr 212, 52–55.Google Scholar
Van Rensburg, G. D. J. and Bate, R. (1987) Preliminary studies on the relative abundance and distribution of the stalk borer. Busseola fusca and Chilo partellus. Tech. Commun. Dept. Agric. Water Supply Repub. S. Afr. 212, 49–52.Google Scholar
Van Rensburg, J. B. J., Walters, M. C. and Giliomee, J. H. (1988) Mortality in natural populations of the maize stalk borer. Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in South Africa. Phytophylactica 20, 17–19.Google Scholar
Van Rensburg, N. J. and Van Hamburg, H. (1975) Grain sorghum pests: An integrated control approach, pp. 151–162. In Proc. 1st Cong., Entomol. Soc. Sth Afr. Stellenbosch. Entomological Society of South Africa, Pretoria.Google Scholar
Walters, H. S. and Kfir, R. (1993) Development o. Nosema partelli sp. n. (Protozoa: Microsporidia: Nosematidae) in the stem borer, Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). African Entomology 1, 57–62.Google Scholar
Watmough, R. H. and Kfir, R. (1995) Predation on pupae o. Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and its relation to stem borer numbers in summer grain crops. J. Appl. Entomol. 119, 679–688.CrossRefGoogle Scholar