Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T23:35:43.110Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A Preliminary Life Table of the Armoured Ground Cricket, Acanthoplus speiseri Brancsik (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae, Hetrodinae), a Pest of Grain Crops in Zambia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

Keith J. Mbata
Keith J. Mbata
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zambia, P. O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia, E-mail: kmbata@natsci.unza.zm
Get access

Abstract

The development of a single cohort of the armoured ground cricket, Acanthoplus speiseri Brancsik was followed in the environs of the University of Zambia campus, Lusaka and a preliminary life table of the grain pest constructed. The pest's total generation mortality was influenced by: failed egg eclosion, failed ecdysis, cannibalism/predation and parasitism. The egg stage had the highest percent real mortality (98.57%) and sub-mortality k-value, indicating that this was the main contributor to the total generation mortality. The rest of the developmental stages suffered lower mortalities, although that of the 6th instar was comparatively higher. A mermithid nematode, Mermis sp., and another unidentified nematode species caused 2.61% sub-mortality in the 6th nymphal instar. The constructed preliminary life table of A. speiseri is analysed and the possible causes of the observed high mortalities in the egg and 6th instar stages are discussed.

Résumé

Le développement biologique d'une seule cohorte du criquet terricole à bouclier, Acanthoplus speiseri Blancsik a fait objet de suivi dans les alentours du campus de l'Université de Zambie à Lusaka, et une table préliminaire de vie du ravageur a été construite. La mortalité totale enregistrée au cours d'une génération du ravageur était influencée par des éclosions avortées des oeufs, des mues larvaires ratées de même qu'un cannibalisme/ prédation et parasitisme. Le stade oeuf avait le pourcentage de mortalité réelle le plus élevé (98,57%) et la plus haute valeur de k de sous-mortalité, ce qui indique que la mortalité à ce stade contribue grandement à la mortalité totale au sein d'une génération. Les autres stades de développement subissaient moins de mortalité, même si les nymphes du sixième stade avaient une mortalité plus élevée comparativement aux autres stades larvaires. Mermis sp. et un nématode mermétide et un autre nématode non identifié ont causé 2,61% de sous-mortalité chez les nymphes du sixième stade. La table préliminaire de vie de A. speiseri ainsi construite est analysée et des raisons possibles des hautes mortalités observées au stade oeuf et au sein des nymphes du sixième stade de développement sont discutées.

Keywords

Acanthoplus speiseri Brancsikarmoured ground cricketgrain crop pestHetrodinaeOrthopterapreliminary life tableTettigoniidaeAcanthoplus speiseri Blancsikcriquet terricole à bouclierravageur des grains de céréalesHetrodinae. Orthopteratable préliminaire de vieTettigoniidae
Type
Research Articles
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 19 , Issue 2-3 , September 1999 , pp. 141 - 148
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1999

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

Bruwer, I. J. and Schoeman, A. S. (1990) Key factor analysis of two populations of the long mussel scale, Insulapsis gloverii (Packard)(Hemiptera: Diaspididae). J. ent. Soc. Sth. Afr. 53, 101–105.Google Scholar
Harcourt, D. G. (1969) Distribution of the immature stages of the diamond-back moth, Plutella maculipennis (Curt.), on cabbage. Can. Entomol. 92, 517–521.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Helgesen, R. G. and Haynes, D. L. (1972) Population dynamics of the cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus (Coleóptera: Chrysomelidae): A model for age-specific mortality. Can. Entomol. 104, 797–814.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Luck, R. F. (1971) An appraisal of two methods of analysing insect life tables. Can. Entomol. 103, 1261–1271.Google Scholar
Mbata, K. J. (1991a) Plant associations and rates of population interchange between two food plant areas of Acanthoplns speiseri Brancsik (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae, Hetrodinae). Insect Sci. Applic. 12, 401–408.Google Scholar
Mbata, K. J. (1991b) Spatial dispersion patterns of the armoured ground cricket, Acanthoplus speiseri Brancsik at the University of Zambia Campus (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae, Hetrodinae). Insect Sci. Applic. 12, 409–417.Google Scholar
Mbata, K. J. (1992a) Some observations on the reproductive behaviour of Acanthoplns speiseri Brancsik (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae, Hetrodinae). Insect Sci. Applic. 13, 19–26.Google Scholar
Mbata, K. J. (1992b) The biology and host plant specificity of Acanthoplns speiseri Brancsik (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae, Hetrodinae), a pest of grain crops. J. ent. Soc. Sth. Afr. 55, 99–106.Google Scholar
Mbata, K. J. (1993) A thermal unit model for the development of Acanthoplus speiseri Brancsik (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae, Hetrodinae), a pest of grain crops in Zambia. Insect Sci. Applic. 14, 355–360.Google Scholar
Metcalfe, J. R. (1972) An analysis of the population dynamics of the Jamaican sugar-cane pest, Saccharosydne saccarivora (Westw.)(Hom., Delphacidae). Bull. Ent. Res. 62, 73–85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morris, R. F. (1963) Predictive population equations based on key-factors. Mem. Ent. Soc. Can. 32, 16–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Musonda, E. M. (1990) Biology and control of the armoured cricket (Acanthoplus speiseri). Productive farming. Off. J. Zambia Commer. Farmers Bur. 195, 27, 29.Google Scholar
Newman, J. E. (1971) Measuring corn maturity with heat units. Crops and Soils Magazine. June-July, 3, 11–14.Google Scholar
Podoler, H. and Rogers, D. (1975) A new method for identification of key factors from life table data. J. Anim. Ecol. 44, 85–114.Google Scholar
Richards, O. W. and Waloff, N. (1954) Studies on the biology and population dynamics of British grasshoppers. Anti-Locust Bull. No. 17, 182 pp.Google Scholar
Shade, R. E., Hansen, H. L. and Wilson, M. C. (1970) A partial life table of the cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus, in northern Indiana. Ann. ent. Soc. Am. 63, 52–59.Google Scholar
Slobodkin, L. S. (1962) Growth and regulation of animal populations. From Southwood, T. R. E. (1978), Ecological Methods. Chapman and Hall, London. 524 pp.Google Scholar
Smith, R. W. (1958) Parasites of nymphal and adult grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in western Canada. Can. J. Zool. 36, 217–262.Google Scholar
Smith, R. W. (1965) A field population of Melanoplus sanguinipes (Fab.)(Orthoptera: Acrididae) and its parasites. Can. J. Zool. 43, 179–201.Google Scholar
Southwood, T. R. E. (1978) Ecological Methods. Chapman and Hall, London. 524 pp.Google Scholar
Varley, G. C. and Gradwell, G. R. (1960) Key factors on population studies, J. Anim. Ecol. 29, 399–401.Google Scholar
Varley, G. C. and Gradwell, G. R. (1968) Population models for winter moth, pp. 132–142. In Insect Abundance Vol. 4 (Edited by Southwood, T. R. E.). Symp. R. ent. Soc. Lond.Google Scholar