Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-sxzjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T12:13:11.078Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Parasitoids of the African stem borer, Busseola fusca (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in South Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Rami Kfir
Rami Kfir*
Affiliation:
Plant Protection Research Institute, Pretoria, South Africa
*
Dr Rami Kfir, Plant Protection Research Institute, Private Bag X134, Pretoria 0001, Republic of South Africa.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Eighteen parasitoids were recorded from the African stem borer, Busseola fusca (Fuller), on maize and grain sorghum, in Delmas and Cedara, South Africa. In Delmas, larval parasitism on both crops fluctuated below 20% with occasional peaks of 40–60%. In Cedara, larval parasitoids were active throughout the season with peaks of 75% and 60% parasitism during January and March-April, respectively on the ratoon crop, and 20% in May on the crop. Pupal parasitism peaked in Cedara at 100% during February-March, and at 80% during November, when parasitoids attacked pupae that formed after B. fusca larvae had emerged from diapause and pupated. In Delmas activity by pupal parasitoids was negligible. The egg parasitoids, Telenomus busseolae Gahan (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) and Trichogrammatoidea lutea Girault (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), were rare. The larval parasitoid, Cotesia sesamiae (Cameron) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), was active throughout the season and was by far the most abundant, emerging from about 90% of parasitized larvae. Its cocoons were often attacked by Aphanogmus fijiensis (Ferrière) (Hymenoptera: Ceraphronidae). Second in abundance among the larval parasitoids was Bracon sesamiae Cameron (Braconidae) whose cocoons were attacked in turn by Eurytoma braconidis Ferrière (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae). Eurytoma braconidis was reared also from cocoons of Euvipio sp. and Aleiodes sp. (both Braconidae). All other larval parasitoids were rare. Procerochasmias nigromaculatus (Cameron) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) was the most abundant pupal parasitoid. Trichogrammatoidea lutea, Glyptapanteles maculitarsis (Cameron) (Braconidae) and Odontepyris transvaalensis (De Buysson) (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) have not been recorded before from B. fusca. Some considerations and proposals for introductions of parasitoids into South Africa against B. fusca are discussed.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 85 , Issue 3 , September 1995 , pp. 369 - 377
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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

Annecke, D.P. & Moran, V.C. (1982) Insects and mites of cultivated plants in South Africa. 383 pp. Durban, RSA, Butterworths.Google Scholar
Anon. (1954) Review of agricultural entomology during the period 1948–1954. Report, VIth Commonwealth Entomology Conference 1954, 281–284.Google Scholar
Arthur, A.P. & Juillet, J.A. (1961) The introduced parasites of the European pine shoot moth, Rhyacionia buoliana (Schiff.) (Lepidoptera: Olethreutidae), with a critical evaluation of their usefulness as control agents. Canadian Entomologist 93, 297–312.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Broodryk, S.W. (1969) The biology of Chelonus (Microchelonus) curvimaculatus (Cameron) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa 32, 169–189.Google Scholar
Brues, T. (1924) Some South African parasitic Hymenoptera of the families Evaniidae, Braconidae, Alysiidae and Plumariidae, in the South African museum with a catalogue of the known species. Annals of the South African Museum 19, 1–150.Google Scholar
Cameron, P. (1906) Description of parasites. Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society 16, 334–335.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Descamps, M. (1956) Insectes nuisibles au riz dans le nord Cameroun. Agronomie Tropicale 11, 732–755.Google Scholar
Du Buysson, R. (1898) Voyage de M.E. Simon dans I'Afrique australe (janvier–avril 1893). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 66, 351–363.Google Scholar
Du Plessis, C. & Lea, H.A.F. (1943) The maize stalk borer, Calamistis fusca (Hmps.). Bulletin, Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Union of South Africa 238, 51 pp.Google Scholar
Ferrière, C. (1933) Chalcidoid and proctotrupoid parasites of pests of the coconut palm. Stylops 2, 97–108.Google Scholar
Greathead, D.J. (1971) A review of biological control in the Ethiopian region. Technical Communication Commonwealth Institute of Biological Control no. 5, 162 pp.Google Scholar
Harris, K.M. (1989) Recent advances in sorghum and pearl millet stem borer research, pp. 9–16in Nwanze, K.F. (Ed.) International workshop on sorghum stem borers. Patancheru, India, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics.Google Scholar
Harris, K.M. & Nwanze, K.F. (1992) Busseola fusca (Fuller), the African maize stalk borer: a handbook of information. Information Bulletin no. 33. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Patancheru, India and Wallingford, UK, CAB International.Google Scholar
Kfir, R. (1982) Reproductive characteristics of Trichogramma brasiliensis and T. lutea, parasitizing eggs of Heliothis armigera. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 32, 249–255.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kfir, R. (1988) Hibernation by the lepidopteran stalk borers, Busseola fusca and Chilo partellus on grain sorghum. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 48, 31–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kfir, R. (1990a) Prospects for cultural control of the stalk borers, Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) and Busseola fusca (Fuller), in summer grain crops in South Africa. Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa 53, 41–47.Google Scholar
Kfir, R. (1990b) Parasites of the spotted stalk borer, Chilo partellus (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in South Africa. Entomophaga 35, 403–410.CrossRefGoogle 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. Technical Communication, Department of Agricultural Development, Republic of South Africa 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. Journal of Economic Entomology 85, 518–529.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kfir, R. & Bell, R.A. (1993) Intraseasonal changes in populations of the African stem borer Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and its parasitoids in Natal, South Africa. Journal of African Zoology 107, 543–553.Google Scholar
Kieffer, J.J. (1905) Description de nouveaux proctotrupides exotiques. Annales de la Société Scientifique de Bruxelles 29, 95–142.Google Scholar
Mally, C.W. (1920) The maize stalk borer Busseola fusca, Fuller. Bulletin, Department of Agriculture, Union of South Africa 3, 111 pp.Google Scholar
Mohyuddin, A.I. (1970) Notes on the distribution and biology of Pediobius furvus (Gah.) (Hym., Eulophidae), a parasite of graminaceous stem-borers. Bulletin of Entomological Research 59, 681–689.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mohyuddin, A.I. (1971) Comparative biology and ecology of Apanteles flavipes (Cam.) and A. sesamiae Cam. as parasites of graminaceous borers. Bulletin of Entomological Research 61, 33–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mohyuddin, A.I. (1972) Distribution, biology and ecology of Dentichasmias busseolae Heinr. (Hym., Ichneumonidae), a pupal parasite of graminaceous stem-borers (Lep., Pyralidae). Bulletin of Entomological Research 62, 161–168.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mohyuddin, A.I. & Greathead, D.J. (1970) An annotated list of the parasites of graminaceous stem borers in East Africa with a discussion of their potential in biological control. Entomophaga 15, 241–274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moutia, L.A. & Courtois, C.M. (1953) Parasites of the mothborers of sugar-cane in Mauritius. Bulletin of Entomological Research 43, 325–359.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nagarkatti, S. & Nagaraja, H. (1977) Biosystematics of Trichogramma and Trichogrammatoidea species. Annual Review of Entomology 22, 157–176.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Overholt, W.A. & Smith, J.W. Jr., (1989) Pediobius furvus parasitization of overwintering generation of southwestern corn borer pupae. Southwestern Entomologist 14, 35–40.Google Scholar
Parry Jones, E. (1937) The egg parasites of the cotton bollworm, Heliothis armigera, Hubn. (obsoleta, Fabr.), in southern Rhodesia. Mazoe Citrus Experimental Station Publication 6, 37–105.Google Scholar
Parry Jones, E. (1939) The biology of a tachinid parasite, (Sturmia rhodensiensis sp. n.) of the cotton boll worm (Heliothis armigera, Hubn.) in Southern Rhodesia. Publication of the British South Africa Company 7, 11–34.Google Scholar
Parsons, F.S. (1940) Investigations on the cotton bollworm, Heliothis armigera, Hubn. (obsoleta, Fabr.). Part 2. The incidence of parasites in quantitative relation to bollworm populations in South Africa. Bulletin of Entomological Research 31, 89–109.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Polaszek, A. & Krombein, K.V. (1994) The genera of Bethylinae (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 3, 91–105.Google Scholar
Polaszek, A., Ubeku, J.A. & Bosque-Perez, N.A. (1993) Taxonomy of the Telenomus busseolae species-complex (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) egg parasitoids of cereal stem borers (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae, Pyralidae). Bulletin of Entomological Research 83, 221–226.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Risbec, J. (1956) Les parasites des insectes borers du riz au Cameroun. Agronomie Tropicale 11, 234–247.Google Scholar
Robertson, I.A.D. (1965) Notes on Diptera collected in Tanganyika. Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa 28, 80–91.Google Scholar
Shenefelt, R.D. (1978) Braconidae 10. in Hymenopterorum catalogus. Van Achterberg, C. & Shenefelt, R.D.W. (Eds) The Hague, W. Junk.Google Scholar
Smithers, C.N. (1959) Some recent observations on Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lep., Noctuidae) in Southern Rhodesia. Bulletin of Entomological Research 50, 809–819.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, J.S. (1932) Report on cotton insect and disease investigations. Part II. Notes on the American bollworm, Heliothis obsoleta Fabr., on cotton, and its parasite Microbracon brevicornis Wesm. Science Bulletin, Department of Agriculture, South Africa 113, 1–18.Google Scholar
Tooke, F.G.C. & Hubbard, C.S. (1941) The pine tree emperor moth Nudaurelia cytherea capensis Stool. A survey and examination of the measures employed in its control. Science Bulletin, Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Union of South Africa 210, 1–57.Google Scholar
Ullyett, G.C. (1935) Notes on Apanteles sesamiae Cam., a parasite of the maize stem borer (Busseola fusca, Fuller) in South Africa. Bulletin of Entomological Research 26, 253–262.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van den Berg, H., Waage, J.K. & Cock, M.J.W. (1988) Natural enemies of Helicoverpa armigera in Africa: a review. 81 pp. London, CAB International Institute of Biological Control.Google Scholar
Van Rensburg, J.B.J., Walters, M.C. & 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
Walker, P.T. & Hodson, M.J. (1976) Development in stem borer control in East Africa, including the use of insecticide granules. Annals of Applied Biology 48, 111–113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, J.R. (1951) The bionomics and morphology of Brenthia leptocosma Meyrick (Lep.: Glyphipterygidae). Bulletin of Entomological Research 41, 629–635.CrossRefGoogle Scholar