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African Crop Science Journal
African Crop Science Society
ISSN: 1021-9730
EISSN: 1021-9730
Vol. 13, No. 3, 2005, pp. 173-183
Bioline Code: cs05017
Full paper language: English
Document type: Research Article
Document available free of charge

African Crop Science Journal, Vol. 13, No. 3, 2005, pp. 173-183

 en Host Range for Stemborers and Associated Natural Enemies in Different Farming Systems of Kenya
Muyekho, F.N; Barrion, A.T & Khan, Z.R

Abstract

The geographical distribution and grass host range for stemborers and their natural enemies were assessed in three districts of Kenya between June 2002 and August 2003. In each district, grasses were sampled and dissected for presence of stem borers and/or their parasitoids (natural enemies). This was done in three cropping systems; (a) maize (Zea mays) surrounded by wild grasses, (b) sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) surrounded by wild grasses and (c) uncultivated grasslands. Busia and Suba districts had the higher diversity of stemborers than Machakos district. Similarly, parasitoids diversity was highest in Busia (24), followed by Suba (19) and the least in Machakos (9). Thirty-four species of stemborers belonging to the orders: Coleoptera [Anthribidae (1), Cerambycidae (3), Curculionidae (7), Mordellidae (3), Languriidae (3), and Tenebrionidae (2)]; and Lepidoptera [Noctuidae (6), Pyralidae (7), Cossidae (1), and Tortricidae (1)] were recovered from 31 grass species. Grass species that accounted for the highest diversity of stemborers were Hyparrhenia (Hyparrhenia rufa), Barnyard grass (Echinochloa pyramidalis), Guine grass (Panicum maximum), Guinea-fowl grass (Rottboellia cochinchinensis) and wild sorghum (Sorghum versicolor), Lemon grass (Cymbopogon afronardus), Hyparrhenia (Hyparrhenia rufa), Guine grass (Panicum maximum) and sporobolus (Sporobolus pyramidalis) were grass species with the highest parasitoid diversity.

Keywords
Coleoptera, ecosystem, Lepidoptera, parasitoids, stem borers

 
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