| Title: | Active aggregation among sexes in bean flower thrips (Megalurothrips sjostedti) on cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) |
| Author(s): | Niassy S; Ekesi S; Maniania NK; Orindi B; Moritz GB; de Kogel WJ; Subramanian S; |
| Address: | "International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology PO Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya. Faculty of Natural Sciences I, Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Domplatz 4, 06108, Halle (Saale), Germany. Plant Research International Wageningen UR, PO Box 16, 6700AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 0013-8703 (Print) 1570-8703 (Electronic) 0013-8703 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Male sexual aggregations are a common territorial, mating-related or resource-based, behaviour observed in diverse organisms, including insects such as thrips. The influence of factors such as plant substrate, time of day, and geographic location on aggregation of thrips is uncertain, therefore we monitored the dispersion of male and female bean flower thrips (BFT), Megalurothrips sjostedti (Trybom) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), on cowpea, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. (Fabaceae), over three cowpea growth stages and across three cowpea-growing areas of Kenya. Our results indicated that for all the crop growth stages, the density of BFTs varied over the time of day, with higher densities at 10:00, 13:00, and 16:00 hours than at 07:00 hours. Thrips densities did not differ among blocks at the budding stage, but they did at peak flowering and podding stages. Dispersion indices suggested that both male and female BFTs were aggregated. Active male aggregation occurred only on green plant parts and it varied across blocks, crop stages, and locations. Similarly, active female aggregation was observed in peak flowering and podding stages. Such active aggregation indicates a semiochemical or behaviour-mediated aggregation. Identification of such a semiochemical may offer new opportunities for refining monitoring and management strategies for BFT on cowpea, the most important grain legume in sub-Saharan Africa" |
| Keywords: | Fabaceae Thripidae Thysanoptera aggregation behaviour dispersion index grain legumes semiochemical; |
| Notes: | "PubMed-not-MEDLINENiassy, Saliou Ekesi, Sunday Maniania, Nguya K Orindi, Benedict Moritz, Gerald B de Kogel, Willem J Subramanian, Sevgan eng England 2016/01/05 Entomol Exp Appl. 2016 Jan; 158(1):17-24. doi: 10.1111/eea.12383. Epub 2015 Dec 15" |
