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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
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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

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