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Will Cotesia flavipes drive its African homologue, Cotesia sesamiae, to extinction?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

Mohamed N. Sallam ,
William A. Overholt ,
Eunicf Kairu  and
Zhou Guofa
Mohamed N. Sallam
Affiliation:
Bureau of Sugarcane Experiment Stations (BSES), P.O. Box 566, Tully, QLD 4854, Australia
William A. Overholt
Affiliation:
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya
Eunicf Kairu
Affiliation:
Zoology Department, Kenyatta University, P.O. Box 43844, Nairobi, Kenya
Zhou Guofa
Affiliation:
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya
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Abstract

This paper addresses the competitive interaction between Cotesia sesamiae, a gregarious larval endoparasitoid that is native to Africa, and Cotesia flavipes, an introduced parasitoid from southern Pakistan which has recently been established in East Africa for biological control of the exotic stemborer, Chilo partellus. The two parasitoids are morphologically similar, and they both attack medium-sized to large larval stages of gramineous lepidopteran stemborers. Based on previous work which suggested that Cotesia flavipes was competitively superior to Co. sesamiae, we speculated that Co. sesamiae may be locally extirpated in some areas of Africa. However, evidence from the field does not support this prediction. Recent field surveys in areas where both parasitoids occur, revealed that Co. sesamiae was still present, and densities were not declining. The interaction of the two parasitoids, as well as the influence of this interaction on host regulation, are discussed.

Résumé

Cet article discute de la compétition entre Cotesia sesamiae et Cotesia flavipes deux parasitoïdes internes et grégaires, morphologiquement semblables. Ils attaquent les larves de foreurs de tige de graminés. Le premier est endémique á l'Afrique et le second a été importé du sud Pakistan dans la cadre de la lutte biologique classique en Afrique de l'est contre, Chilo partellus, un foreur de tige de céréales originaire d'Asie. Sur la base des travaux antérieurs qui ont montré que Co. flavipes était competitivement supérieur á Co. sesamiae, nous avions spéculé que Cotesia sesamiae pourrait eventuellement être éliminé dans certaines régions d'Afrique. Toutefois, des données récentes de terrain ne sont pas en accord avec cette hypothèse. Des enquêtes récentes dans les régions où les deux parasitoïdes existent ont montré que Co. sesamiae est toujours présent et que ses densités ne décroissent pas. Les interactions entre les deux parasitoïdes et l'effet de cette interaction sur la régulation de l'hòte sont discutés.

Keywords

Cotesia flavipesCotesia sesamiaeChilo partellusparasitoid competitionclassical biological controlCotesia flavipesCotesia sesamiaeChilo partellusparasitoïdescompetitionlutte biologique classique
Type
Research Articles
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 21 , Issue 4 , December 2001 , pp. 297 - 302
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 2001

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