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 inthe morning and early afternoon did not differ significantly at P = 0.05.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.