Abstract
Parasitoids are the most important bio-control agents in suppressing C. partellus populations. The exotic larval parasitoid, Cotesia flavipes Cameron was introduced into East Africa as a classical bio-control programme of cereal stem borers’ mainly Chilo partellus. In Ethiopia this parasitoid has never been released but it was found established and has been reported attacking C. partellus on sorghum. The abundance and impacts of C. flavipes on the population reduction of C. partellus were studied at different phenological stages of sorghum in three districts of South Wollo zone, Ethiopia, during 2016/17 and 2017/18. Result showed that C. flavipes’ abundance revealed significant difference among sorghum growth stages and across the districts. C. flavipes recorded abundantly at maturity stages of sorghum. The highest number (0.48) was recorded from Bati with the relative abundance of 33.8%. Parasitism by C. flavipes varied across the locations and host growth stages. The highest (61.5%) parasitism percentage was recorded from Bati at maturity in both seasons. In all the study sites parasitized larvae and percent parasitism were positively correlated with the late growth stages and negatively correlated with vegetative stages at Bati and Chefa and was significant at 0.05 levels. In conclusion C. partellus was found attacking by C. flavipes at the late growth stages of sorghum in all districts. Thus it is possible to suggest that the use of this parasitoid can be regarded as a suitable alternative to synthetic insecticides for the management of C. partellus in the field.
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Acknowledgements
The author is thankful to Debre Markos University for providing a study leave and Addis Ababa University for providing financial support from thematic research fund. We also express our appreciation to Kombolcha Plant Health Clinic (KPHC) and its staff for their technical support and Laboratory facilities.
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This study was financed by Addis Ababa University.
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AN—Design the experiment, conducted the field work, analyzed the data, and wrote the manuscript. EG Design the experiment, supervised the field work, read the manuscript. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Nega, A., Getu, E. Abundance and impacts of parasitoids on Chilo partellus at different phenological stages of sorghum: with special emphasis to Cotesia flavipes Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Int J Trop Insect Sci 43, 363–371 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-023-00945-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-023-00945-4