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Larval establishment and feeding behaviour of Eldana saccharina walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on maize and sorghum plants

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

L. M. Kantiki
Affiliation:
The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya
J. K. O. Ampofo
Affiliation:
The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya
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Abstract

Larval establishment and feeding site selection of Eldana saccharina Walker were studied on maize (Katumani Composite B) and sorghum (Serena). These parameters were defined as the location within the plant of the larva 7 days after hatching; and feeding activity was measured by the extent of stalk tunnelling. In naturally infested maize, more larvae settled in the basal section of the plants between second and fifth node/internode, and in sorghum they settled between fourth and seventh node/internode. In the artificially infested plants of both crops, larvae settled in the middle section of the plant mainly between fourth and seventh node/internode. The neonate larvae first settled in the leaf sheath until they were third instars when they entered the stalks. However, in sorghum stalk entry was limited by stalk wall toughness and waxes on the stalks.

The extent of stalk tunnelling indicated that in maize larval feeding is highest in the internodes whereas in sorghum it is in the peduncles.

Résumé

Le'establissement larvaire et l'endroit de nutrition d'Eldana saccharina Walker étaient étudiés sur le maïs (Katumani composite B) et sur le sorgho (Serena). Les facteurs étaient définis basé sur la localisation de larve 7 jours après éclosion à l'interieur du plant, et la nutrition était mesurée par le deoré d'extension des galeries au sein de la tige. Pour le maïs naturellement infesté, plus de larves étaient Instanllées au niveau de la section basale de la plante entre le deuxième et le cinquième noeud ou entre-noeud et chez le sorgho, el les étaient instanllées entre le quatrième et septième noeud ou entre-noend. Pour les deux cultures, lorsqu'elles étaient artificiellement infestées, les larves se sont instanllées dans la section du milieu de la plante. La larve ‘neonate’ s'est premièrement installée au niveau de la fenille jusqu'au troisième stade larvaire quand elles ont penénétré la tige. Par centre, chez la tige du sorgho la pénétration était limitée par la dureté de la tige et ses secretions (‘Waxes’).

L'e tension des galeries dans les tiges nous a indiqué que la nutrition larvaire était plus pronoucée au niveau des entrenoeuds chez le maïs et au niveau de la pendoncule chez le sorgho.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1989

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References

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