Diversity and abundance of diurnal insects associated with dry season Amaranthus hybridusL. in the University of Ilorin, Nigeria.
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Date
2019
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Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Abstract
Amaranthus hybridus L. is an important leafy vegetable in sub Saharan Africa whose production is mainly
limited by field insect pests. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) offers a sustainable approach for the
management of these pests because it ensures effective insect pest control while also promoting the
conservation of beneficial insect species in agro-ecosystems. Consequently, this study investigated the
diversity and abundance of diurnal insects of dry season A. hybridus at the University of Ilorin to provide
information for successful IPM programs in A. hybridus systems. Insect sampling from irrigated A. hybridus
beds was done for 8 consecutive weeks from the second week after sowing. At each week, sampling was done
in the morning (7:00 – 10:00A.M.), early afternoon (12:00 – 3:00P.M.) and late afternoon (4:00 – 7:00P.M.)
with sweep net, aspirator and by handpicking. Seventy-eight insect specimens consisting of 24 species, 16
families, and 5 orders were collected. Herbivores in the family Acrididae, Alydidae, Chrysomelidae, and
Pyrgomorphidae made up 78.3% of morning collections. Insect predators like Oecophylla sp. and Dorylus sp.
in the family Formicidaewere most abundant in the early afternoon. Parasitoids in family Sphecidae and leaf
feeders like Acridabicolor (Acrididae) made up 53.48% and 32.56% respectively of the total late afternoon
collections. According to Shannon’s and Simpson’s diversity t- tests, insect taxa in the late afternoon were
significantly (P < 0.05) less diverse than in the morning or early afternoon. In contrast, species richness in
the morning and early afternoon did not differ significantly at P = 0.05.
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Keywords
Amaranthus hybridus, IPM, predators, parasitoids, biodiversity
Citation
Ojumoola A.O., Raimi K.M. &Adesiyun A.A. (2019):Diversity and abundance of diurnal insects associated with dry season Amaranthus hybridusL. in the University of Ilorin, Nigeria. Journal of Tropical Agriculture, Food, Environment and Extension (Agro-Science), 18 (2): 8-14