Agricultural Science Commons^™

Assessment Of Variation In Susceptibility Of The Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera Frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), To Bacillus Thuringiensis Toxins, Karen Ferreira Da Silva

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is a polyphagous insect pest affecting multiple crops. Fall armyworm is managed with insecticides and corn hybrids expressing insecticidal proteins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis. The early detection of insect resistance is important for making appropriate management decisions informs IPM and IRM recommendations.

The objective of the first study was to establish baseline susceptibility of fall armyworm populations to the Cry1F Bt insecticidal protein, emphasizing collections from locations where fall armyworm overwinters in the U.S. Fall armyworm neonates were exposed to artificial diet treated with increasing Cry1F concentrations, and mortality and growth inhibition were …

Responses Of Parasitoids To Volatiles Induced By Chilo Partellus Oviposition On Teosinte, A Wild Ancestor Of Maize, Daniel M. Mutyambai, Toby J.A. Bruce, Charles A.O. Midega, Christine M. Woodcock, John C. Caulfield, Johnnie Van Den Berg, John A. Pickett, Zeyaur R. Khan

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Maize, a genetically diverse crop, is the domesticated descendent of its wild ancestor, teosinte. Recently, we have shown that certain maize landraces possess a valuable indirect defense trait not present in commercial hybrids. Plants of these landraces release herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) that attract both egg [Trichogramma bournieri Pintureau & Babault (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)] and larval [Cotesia sesamiae Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)] parasitoids in response to stemborer egg deposition. In this study, we tested whether this trait also exists in the germplasm of wild Zea species. Headspace samples were collected from plants exposed to egg deposition by Chilo partellus Swinhoe (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) …

Pathogenicity And Performance Of Two Candidate Isolates Of Metarhizium Anisopliae And Beauveria Bassiana (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) In Four Liquid Culture Media For The Management Of The Legume Pod Borer Maruca Vitrata (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), V. Tumuhaise, S. Ekesi, S. A. Mohamed, P. N. Ndegwa, L. W. Irungu, R. Srinivasan, N. K. Maniania

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The aim of this study was to identify and develop entomopathogenic fungi as biopesticides for management of Maruca vitrata (Fabricius). Fourteen isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin and six of Beauveria bassiana (Bals.-Criv.) Vuill. were screened against first instar larvae of M. vitrata. The two most virulent isolates were selected and further tested for production in four liquid media. Different formulations of one isolate were evaluated against different developmental stages. Metarhizium anisopliae ICIPE 18 and ICIPE 69 caused highest larval mortality of 91 and 81%, with lethal time to 50% mortality (LT50) values of 1.8 and 1.7 days and LC50 …

Optimizing Western Flower Thrips Management On French Beans By Combined Use Of Beneficials And Imidacloprid, Johnson O. Nyasani, Sevgan Subramanian, Hans Michael Poehling, Nguya K. Maniania, Sunday Ekesi, Rainer Meyhöfer

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Western flower thrips (WFT), Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), is an important pest of vegetable crops worldwide and has developed resistance to many insecticides. The predatory mites Neoseiulus (=Amblyseius) cucumeris (Oudemans), the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.), and an insecticide (imidacloprid) were tested for their efficacy to reduce WFT population density and damage to French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) pods under field conditions in two planting periods. Metarhizium anisopliae was applied as a foliar spray weekly at a rate of one litre spray volume per plot while imidacloprid was applied as a soil drench every two weeks at a rate of two …

Control Of Vegetable Pests In Benin - Farmers' Preferences For Eco-Friendly Nets As An Alternative To Insecticides, Faustin Vidogbéna, Anselme Adégbidi, Rigobert Tossou, Françoise Assogba-Komlan, Mathieu Ngouajio, Thibaut Martin, Serge Simon, Laurent Parrot, Kerstin K. Zander

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We investigated if eco-friendly nets (EFNs) are a viable and acceptable alternative to extremely high levels of insecticide use in vegetable production. Using a choice experiment, we found that vegetable producing farmers in Benin preferred all of the characteristics of EFNs except the higher labor requirements. The nets had been distributed in a trial phase for free but in the long run farmers would need to purchase the EFNs. The break-even point for investing in nets was found to vary with the lifespan of EFNs, their purchase price and potential health benefits from avoiding large quantities of insecticides. To break …

Effect Of Temperature On The Phenology Of Chilo Partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera, Crambidae); Simulation And Visualization Of The Potential Future Distribution Of C. Partellus In Africa Under Warmer Temperatures Through The Development Of Life-Table Parameters, N. Khadioli, Z. E.H. Tonnang, E. Muchugu, G. Ong'amo, T. Achia, I. Kipchirchir, J. Kroschel, B. Le Ru

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Maize (Zea mays) is a major staple food in Africa. However, maize production is severely reduced by damage caused by feeding lepidopteran pests. In East and Southern Africa, Chilo partellus is one of the most damaging cereal stem borers mainly found in the warmer lowland areas. In this study, it was hypothesized that the future distribution and abundance of C. partellus may be affected greatly by the current global warming. The temperature-dependent population growth potential of C. partellus was studied on artificial diet under laboratory conditions at six constant temperatures (15, 18, 20, 25, 28, 30, 32 and 35 °C), …

The Effect Of Agricultural Practices On Sugar Beet Root Aphid (Pemphigus Betae Doane) And Beneficial Epigeal Arthropods, Rudolph J. Pretorius

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study investigated the effect of several agricultural practices on the sugar beet root aphid (Pemphigus betae Doane) and beneficial epigeal natural enemies in western Nebraska sugar beet agroecosystems. Eight glyphosate-tolerant sugar beet varieties were evaluated under field conditions for their resistance to root aphids. High levels of aphid resistance were detected for some varieties. In conjunction to this, pitfall sampling was conducted to determine the beneficial epigeal natural enemy complex in the area, which could contribute to the management of both root aphids and glyphosate-resistant weeds. Ground beetles comprised an important and abundant component of this fauna, with …

Microclimate Modification And Insect Pest Exclusion Using Agronet Improve Pod Yield And Quality Of French Bean, Elisha Otieno Gogo, Mwanarusi Saidi, Jacob Mugwa Ochieng, Thibaud Martin, Vance Baird, Mathieu Ngouajio

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French bean [Phaseolus vulgaris (L.)] is among the leading export vegetable in Africa, mostly produced by small-scale farmers. Unfavorable environmental conditions and heavy infestations by insect pests are among the major constraints limiting production of the crop. Most French bean producers grow their crop in open fields outdoors subject to harsh environmental conditions and repeatedly spray insecticides in a bid to realize high yield. This has led to rejection of some of the produce at the export market as a result of stringent limits on maximum residue levels. Two trials were conducted at the Horticulture Research and Teaching Field, Egerton …

An Evaluation Of Watermelon (Citrullus Spp.) Germplasm For Additional Sources Of Resistance To The Twospotted Spider Mite (Tetranychus Urticae Koch)., Hector Cantu Jr.

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Fourteen U.S plant introduction (PI) accessions of C. lanatus var. lanatus (4), C. lanatus var. citroides (5) C. colocynthis (5) and a known susceptible commercial cultivar ‘Sugar Baby’ were evaluated for resistance to the twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, in a limited free-choice and free-choice bioassay under laboratory conditions. The limited free choice bioassay, involved nine Petri dish cages that held five randomly assigned leaves individually inoculated with two adult females and one adult male. Eggs, larva, and adults were counted over a nine day period. The free choice bioassay involved the even distribution of three mite infested …

Effects Of Landscape Complexity And Habitat Management On Stemborer Colonization, Parasitism And Damage To Maize, Charles A.O. Midega, Mattias Jonsson, Zeyaur R. Khan, Barbara Ekbom

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Lepidopteran stemborers are a serious constraint to efficient production of maize in sub-Saharan Africa. One of the most effective ways of managing these pests is through a habitat management system called push-pull. Landscape complexity has been shown to enhance biological control of insect pests, and therefore may influence effectiveness of habitat management systems designed to control pests. We studied the relative importance of the push-pull cropping system as a local effect and proportional cover of grassland as a landscape effect on (i) stemborer population density and damage to maize, and (ii) parasitism and mortality of stemborer life stages in western …

No 1 2013 Eggplant Variety Trial, Rebecca Brown

University of Rhode Island Vegetable Production Research Reports

Descriptions of eggplant varieties trialed at the Gardiner Crop Research Farm of URI, Kingston, RI

No3 2013 Melon Variety Trial, Rebecca Brown

University of Rhode Island Vegetable Production Research Reports

Descriptions of melon varieties, including disease ratings, trialed at the Gardiner Crop Research Farm of URI, Kingston, RI

Comparison Of Food-Based Attractants For Bactrocera Invadens (Diptera: Tephritidae) And Evaluation Of Mazoferm - Spinosad Bait Spray For Field Suppression In Mango, Sunday Ekesi, Samira Mohamed, Chrysantus M. Tanga

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Catches of Bactrocera invadens Drew, Tsuruta, & White (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Multi-lure traps baited with six commercial food-based attractants, Mazoferm E802, Torula yeast, GF-120, Hymlure, Biolure, and Nulure were compared in mango orchards in Kenya. In 2007, Mazoferm E802 and Torula yeast were the most effective attractants and captured 2.4-2.6 times more females and 3.4-4.0 times more males than the standard Nulure. All attractants captured more females than males (ranging from 63 to 74%). In 2008, Mazoferm E802 was the most effective bait capturing 5.6 and 9.1 times more females and males, respectively, than the standard Nulure. Among all the …

Effectiveness Of Hand Removal For Small-Scale Management Of Japanese Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), Paul V. Switzer, Ryan M. Cumming

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Hand removal is often recommended as a method for small-scale control of Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica Newman). In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of daily hand removal for controlling damage by Japanese beetles on grape plants. We also investigated whether the timing of the removal (at 0800, 1400, or 1900 hours, or at all 3 periods) inßuenced the effectiveness of the technique. We found that hand removal signiÞcantly lowered the number of beetles on, and consequently the damage to, grape plants relative to nonremoval controls. Of the single removal treatments, removal of beetles at 1900 hours was most effective, …

Effectiveness Of Hand Removal For Small-Scale Management Of Japanese Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), Paul Switzer, Ryan Cumming

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Hand removal is often recommended as a method for small-scale control of Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica Newman). In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of daily hand removal for controlling damage by Japanese beetles on grape plants. We also investigated whether the timing of the removal (at 0800, 1400, or 1900 hours, or at all 3 periods) inßuenced the effectiveness of the technique. We found that hand removal signiÞcantly lowered the number of beetles on, and consequently the damage to, grape plants relative to nonremoval controls. Of the single removal treatments, removal of beetles at 1900 hours was most effective, …

Grassland Sustainability In Kentucky: Case Studies Quantifying The Effects Of Climate Change On Slug Herbivory In Pastures And Different Home Lawn Systems On Turf Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Daniel Adam Weber

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Grasslands comprise the greatest biome by land area, are sensitive to environmental factors affected by climate change, and can impact future climate change through their ability to store and release greenhouse gasses (GHGs). I performed two studies: 1) evaluated the effects of increased temperature and precipitation on slug herbivory/abundance and pasture forage production; 2) quantified different homeowner lawn system effects on soil-to-atmosphere GHG emissions. Climate change will likely affect pasture forage production, with implications for slug herbivory and abundance. I found little evidence that slugs have or will have significant effects on pasture production or plant community. Warming altered the …

Molecular Markers Reveal Narrow Genetic Base And Culturing-Associated Genetic Drift In Teretrius Nigrescens Lewis Populations Released For The Biological Control Of The Larger Grain Borer In Africa, B. A. Omondi, J. Van Den Berg, D. Masiga, F. Schulthess

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In biological control, successful establishment of a natural enemy species depends on its adaptability in the introduced range including its ability to re-establish desired ecological interactions with the pest. These are affected by genetic parameters hitherto largely unresolved in biological control. The larger grain borer (LGB), Prostephanus truncatus, an invasive species from meso-America, is the most important post-harvest pest of maize in Africa. We studied the genetic structure of Teretrius nigrescens, a predatory beetle previously released for the control of the pest in Africa, to test the hypothesis that establishment patterns were a result of ecotype-environment mismatch and to follow …

Storage Of Mung Bean (Vigna Radiata [L.] Wilczek) And Pigeonpea Grains (Cajanus Cajan [L.] Millsp) In Hermetic Triple-Layer Bags Stops Losses Caused By Callosobruchus Maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), C. M. Mutungi, H. Affognon, A. W. Njoroge, D. Baributsa, L. L. Murdock

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Dry mung bean and pigeonpea grains that had sustained some insect damage but fumigated before the start of the experiment were stored in triple-layer hermetic bags (Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS™ bags) or woven polypropylene (PP) bags for 6 months. Some of the bags were artificially infested with cowpea bruchid Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (PICS1, PP1) while others were not (PICS0, PP0). In an additional trial, PP bags containing the grains were treated with Actellic Super® dust before being artificially infested (PP1Ac). Moisture content, live adult C.maculatus count, grain damage, weight loss, and seed germination were determined on a monthly basis. …

Triple Bag Hermetic Storage Delivers A Lethal Punch To Prostephanus Truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) In Stored Maize, A. W. Njoroge, H. D. Affognon, C. M. Mutungi, J. Manono, P. O. Lamuka, L. L. Murdock

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Clean shelled maize was stored in woven polypropylene (PP) or triple layer polyethylene (PICS™) bags in the presence of Prostephanus truncatus Horn (PP1; PICS1) or absence of it (PP0; PICS0) at ambient conditions for six months. Moisture content, live insect population, grain damage, weight loss, and germination were analyzed on a monthly basis. Temperature and relative humidity in both PICS- and PP-bag setups were monitored, as well as the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the PICS bags. Overall, maize stored in PICS bags had significantly lower (P<0.05) moisture content than maize stored in PP bags. Storage in PICS bag slowed growth of P.truncatus populations and blocked infestation from the surrounding storage environment. On the contrary, PP bags permitted profuse build-up of insect population and cross-infestation. At six months, grain damage was 0.0%, 3.4%, 50.5% and 73.9%, corresponding to weight loss of 0.0%, 2.0%, 36.3%, and 47.7% in PICS0, PICS1, PP0 and PP1, respectively. Germination of maize stored in PP bags dropped from 91.1% to 37.0% and 12.7% in PP0 and PP1, respectively, whereas germination of maize stored in PICS bags dropped only marginally and reached 78.1% and 71.0% in PICS0 and PICS1, respectively, in six months. Without extreme loss of grain viability, a huge decrease in insect infestation, grain damage and weight loss is achieved by storing maize in PICS bag even under P.truncatus endemic conditions. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Life History Comparison Of Two Green Lacewing Species Chrysoperla Johnsoni And Chrysoperla Carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), Kaushalya G. Amarasekare, Peter W. Shearer

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

We investigated the life histories of two green lacewing species, Chrysoperla johnsoni Henry, Wells, and Pupedis from western North America, and Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) from western Europe in the laboratory. There were both similarities and differences in their life history characteristics. C. johnsoni exhibited a significantly longer developmental time for egg, first instar, and pupal stage than C. carnea. C. carnea exhibited a significantly shorter egg to adult developmental time than C. johnsoni. Except for the pupal stage, the survival of all other life history stages was not species-specific. All C. carnea pupae were able to develop …

Management Of Potato Leafhopper And Maple Spider Mite On Nursery Grown Maples, Julia Prado Beltran

Open Access Dissertations

Potato leafhopper Empoasca fabae (Harris) (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) and maple spider mite Oligonychus aceris (Shimer) (Acarina: Tetranychidae) are important pests of maple trees. Investigations determined how insecticide use and fertilization impacted the abundance of E. fabae and O. aceris on `Red Sunset' red maple and `Autumn Blaze' Freeman maples. Bifenthrin applications directed against leafhoppers reduced damage to both cultivars, but increased O. aceris on Autumn Blaze. Using a threshold of one leafhopper per branch to trigger pesticide applications protected Red Sunset maples from leafhopper injury. It also prevented outbreaks of O. aceris on Autumn Blaze because few trees reached this density. …

Seasonal Abundance Of Western Flower Thrips And Its Natural Enemies In Different French Bean Agroecosystems In Kenya, J. O. Nyasani, R. Meyhöfer, S. Subramanian, H. M. Poehling

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The seasonal abundance of western flower thrips (WFT) [Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)] and its natural enemies on French beans in two agro-ecological zones (AEZs) (high and mid altitude) in Kenya, was studied in three growing cycles from January to December 2009. French beans were sampled every 2 weeks for WFT and natural enemies. Results show that colonization of French beans with WFT in both farm scales studied in the two AEZs started at 2- to 3-leaf stage. There was an increase in the population density of WFT from budding stage to podding/flowering stage, and it declined at crop senescence. …

Two Sugar Isomers Influence Host Plant Acceptance By A Cereal Caterpillar Pest, G. Juma, M. Thiongo, L. Dutaur, K. Rharrabe, F. Marion-Poll, B. Le Ru, G. Magoma, J. F. Silvain, P. A. Calatayud

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Abstract Plant sugars are often considered as primary feeding stimuli, conditioning host plant acceptance by herbivorous insects. Of the nine sugars identified from methanolic extracts of seven grass species, only turanose, a sucrose isomer, was negatively correlated with the survival and growth of the noctuid larva of cereal stemborer, Busseola fusca. Sucrose was the most abundant sugar, although it did not vary significantly in concentration among the plant species studied. Using Styrofoam™ cylinders impregnated with increasing concentrations of turanose or sucrose, the two sugars had opposing effects: turanose appeared phagodeterrent while sucrose was phagostimulatory. Electrophysiological studies indicated that B. fusca …

Farmers' Perceptions Of Cotton Pests And Their Management In Western Kenya, Charles A.O. Midega, Isaac M. Nyang'au, Jimmy Pittchar, Michael A. Birkett, John A. Pickett, Miguel Borges, Zeyaur R. Khan

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Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production in western Kenya is severely affected by insect pests, resulting in poor yields in spite of the growing demand for the commodity. One of the key constraints to establishing effective pest management approaches for smallholder farmers is the lack of adequate information about farmers' knowledge, perceptions and practices in pest management. This study was therefore conducted to (1) evaluate farmers' knowledge and perceptions of cotton pests; (2) examine farmers' current practices in managing cotton pests; (3) identify pest management challenges and intervention opportunities in order to develop efficient integrated pest management (IPM) approaches. A total …

High-Throughput Transcriptome Sequencing For Snp And Gene Discovery In A Moth, Nicholas J. Miller, Jing Sun, Thomas W. Sappington

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Smith) (Leptidoptera: Noctuidae) is a pest of corn (Zea mays L.) and dry beans that underwent a dramatic range expansion in North America during the first decade of the 21st century. Research into the population genetics of this species has been hindered by a lack of genetic markers. The transcriptome of adult male S. albicosta was partially sequenced using Illumina sequencing-by-synthesis. Assembly of the sequence reads yielded 16,847 transcript sequences, of which 6,631 could be assigned a putative function. A search for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified 2,487 candidate SNPs distributed among 1,265 …

Oviposition Induced Volatile Emissions From African Smallholder Farmers' Maize Varieties, Amanuel Tamiru, Toby J.A. Bruce, Charles A.O. Midega, Christine M. Woodcock, Michael A. Birkett, John A. Pickett, Zeyaur R. Khan

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Maize (corn), Zea mays, is a genetically diverse crop, and we have recently shown that certain open pollinated varieties (OPVs) of Latin American origin possess a trait not present in mainstream commercial varieties: they produce volatiles in response to stemborer oviposition that are attractive to stemborer parasitoids. Here, we tested whether a similar tritrophic effect occurs in the African OPVs 'Nyamula' and 'Jowi'. Herbivore induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) were collected from plants exposed to egg deposition by the stemborer Chilo partellus. In a four-arm olfactometer bioassay, the parasitic wasp Cotesia sesamiae preferred samples containing HIPVs from plants with eggs to …

Using Sex Pheromone Traps In The Decision-Making Process For Pesticide Application Against Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera Frugiperda [Smith] [Lepidoptera: Noctuidae]) Larvae In Maize, Ivan Cruz, Maria De Lourdes Corrêa Figueiredo, Rafael Braga Da Silva, Ivana Fernandes Da Silva, Cristiane De Souza Paula, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a major pest of maize and frequently demands control measures. The timing of insecticide application is a key factor in determining its efficiency, so an experiment was designed to investigate this. Application of insecticide was based on three criteria: (i) the number of trap-caught moths in a Delta-type trap with a commercial sex pheromone lure placed in the center of the target area, soon after plant emergence; (ii) the percentage of plants exhibiting pinhole-type damage (10% or 20%), and (iii) the percentage of plants exhibiting shot hole–type damage (10% or 20%) …

Susceptibility Of Cry1ab Maize-Resistant And -Susceptible Strains Of Sugarcane Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) To Four Individual Cry Proteins, Liping Zhang, Fangneng Huang, B. Rogers Leonard, Mao Chen, Thomas Clark, Yu Cheng Zhu, David S. Wangila, Fei Yang, Ying Niu

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.), is a major target of Bt maize in South America and many areas of the US mid-south region. Six laboratory strains of D. saccharalis were established from six single-pair F2 families possessing major resistance alleles to Cry1Ab maize hybrids. Susceptibility of the six strains was evaluated on diet treated with each of four purified trypsin-activated Bt proteins, Cry1Ab, Cry1Aa, Cry1Ac, and Cry1F. Bt susceptibility of the six strains was compared with that of known Cry1Ab-susceptible and -resistant strains of D. saccharalis. At least two of the six strains demonstrated a similar level (>526-fold) …

Screenhouse Transmission Of Beauveria Bassiana From Infected To Non-Infected Adults Of Banana Weevil, C. A. Omukoko, J. M. Wesonga, E. M. Kahangi, L. S. Wamocho, K. N. Maniania

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Laboratory studies have revealed great potential of entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana for use against the banana weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus, in banana. Adult banana weevils exposed to wet conidia of Beauveria bassiana suffered high mortalities ranging from 50-70% by 40 days post exposure when a concentration of 1×109 was used in the laboratory with three isolates ICIPE 273, M313 and M207 which were selected on the basis of high virulence against C. sordidus and high sporulation. However, impractical field delivery methods and high costs associated with the application of B. bassiana against C. sordidus prevent its use and commercialisation in banana …

Management Of Alien Invasive Insect Pest Species And Diseases Of Fruits And Vegetables: Experiences From East Africa, B. Nyambo, S. Sevgan, A. Chabi-Olaye, S. Ekesi

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The East African region is currently struggling to cope with several alien invasive insect pest species (AIS): the diamondback moth (DBM), fruit flies, Liriomyza leafminers, thrips and spider mites to name just a few. These insect pests have wide host range, are difficult to control with synthetic pesticides, and most are of quarantine status. AIS are becoming frequent pests in horticulture production systems, threat to food security, market access and rural livelihoods. The impact of these pests is aggravated by variability in climatic conditions, few taxonomic expertise for accurate and timely identification of new species, inadequate knowledge on viable alternative …