Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T05:22:47.496Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Plant associations and rates of population interchange between two food plant areas of Acanthoplus speiseri Brancsik (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae, Hetrodinae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

Keith J. Mbata
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Zambia, P. O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia
Get access

Abstract

Plant associations and rates of population interchange between two food plant areas for the armoured ground cricket, Acanthoplus speiseri Brancsik were investigated. A. speiseri was associated with 40 species of plants spread over 11 families. The ground cricket had a significantly high frequency of association at P = 0.05 with Rottboelia exaltata Linn. F. and Hyparrhenia nyassae (Rendle) Stapf. The ground cricket preferred members of the Gramineae to those of other families, 69% of the total number of ground crickets collected from the plants in this study were from grasses and among these Zea mays L. and Sorghum vulgare Pers. were opportunistic associations.

The rates of population interchange between two areas dominated, respectively, by Nicandra physaloides (L.) Gaertn. and R. exaltata with several species of Hyparrhenia were unequal. There was net emigration of 76.69 ground crickets to the N. physaloides area in 10 days.

The significance of the findings on plant associations and rates of population interchange between food plant areas of A. speiseri to future sampling and control of the ground cricket is discussed.

Résumé

L'association avec les plantes et les fréquences d'interchangement de population entre deux régions containant de la nourriture végétative pour le criquet de sol avec armure, Acanthoplus speiseri Brancsik, étaient etudiées. A. speiseri, était associé avec 40 espèces de plantes distribuées parmi. 11 families. Le criquet de sol avait une haute fréquence d'associations remarquable à un niveau de probabilité de 0.05 avec Rottboelia exaltata Linn. F., et Hyparrhenia nyassae (Rendle) Stapf. Le criquet de sol préferrait les membres des Graminées à ceux d'autres families. 69% du nombre total des criquets de sol rassemblés à partir de plantes dans cette étude, venaient des Graminées et parmi celles-ci se trou vaient Zea mays L., et Sorghum vulgare Pers., avec lesquels les criquets de sol s'associaient opportunément.

Les fréquences d'interchangement de population étaient inégales entre une région dominée par Nicandra physaloides (L.) Gaertn., et celle dominée par R. exaltata/Hyparrhenia. Il y avait une emigration nette de 76.69 criquets de sol à la region dominée par N. physaloides dans l'espace de 10 jours.

L'irnportance des découvertes sur l'association avec les plantes et les fréquences d'interchangement de population entre regions containant la nourriture végétative habjteés par A. speiseri pour le bénéfice des collections et du control futurs du criquet de sol est examineé.

Type
Research Articles
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1991

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

Allan, W. (1930) Entomological notes on some agricultural pests in Northern Rhodesia. Rev. Appl. Entomol. 19, 192, 644.Google Scholar
Clayton, W. D. (1969) A revision of the genus Hyparrhenia. Kew Bull. Additional Series II. Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO), London.Google Scholar
Harker, K.W. and Napper, D. (1960) An Illustrated Guide to the Grasses of Uganda. The Government Printer, Entebbe, Uganda.Google Scholar
Jackson, G. and Wiehe, P. O. (1958) An annotated check list of Nyasaland grasses, indigenous and cultivated. The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland.Google Scholar
Mbata, K. J. (1991a) Spatial dispersion patterns of the armoured ground cricket, Acanthoplus speiseri Brancsik at the University of Zambia Campus (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae, Hetrodinae). Insect Sci. Applic. (This issue).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nath Nair, D. M. (1967) A Numbered Dichotomous Key to the Selected Families of Zambian Flowering Plants. University of Zambia Publication. Lusaka.Google Scholar
Richards, O. W. and Waloff, N. (1954) Studies on the biology and population dynamics of British grasshoppers. Anti-Locust Bull. 17, 182.Google Scholar
Southwood, T. R. E. (1978) Ecological Methods. Chapman & Hall, London.Google Scholar
Uvarov, B. Sir (1977) Grasshoppers and Locusts, a Handbook of General Acridology. Vol. II. Behaviour, Ecology, Biogeography, Population Dynamics. University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Vernon, R. (1983) Field Guide to Important Arable Weeds of Zambia. Balding & Mansel Ltd., London.Google Scholar