The Effect of <i>Aphthona whitfieldi</i> (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Populations’ Density on the Growth of <i>Jatropha curcas</i> in Burkina Faso

Abstract

Aphthona whitfieldi Bryant (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a major insect pest of Jatropha curcas L. in Burkina Faso. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of the insect pest populations' density on the growth of the plant. To achieve this purpose, 90-day aged single plants were caged in a randomized complete block design experiment with 5 treatments and 5 replicates. The treatments consisted of increasing numbers of adults of A. whitfieldi used to infest the caged plants: T0 (0 adult = check), T1 (100 adults), T2 (200 adults), T3 (300 adults), T4 (400 adults). All caged plants were infested 21 days after transplantation and the evaluation started 14 days later one on every 2-week basis from September 18, 2014 to February 19, 2015. The growth parameters of the plant were assessed. The results showed that the intensity of damage caused by A. whitfieldi on the growth of young plants of J. curcas varied according to the treatment (i.e., according to the number of adult individuals infesting the plant at the beginning). The higher the number, the heavier the level of damage caused by the pest. So, the growth of the J. curcas plant was inversely proportional to the number of A. whitfieldi infesting individuals. There was also a positive linear correlation between the defoliation rate and the height of the seedlings. The status of this insect pest was confirmed by the results of this study.

Assessing influence in biofuel production and ecosystem services when environmental changes affect plant–pest relationships

“…Anitha & Varaprasad, 2012; Biondi et al., 2013; Nielsen & De Jongh, 2009), namely A. cookei (Gerstaecker), A. dilutipes Jacoby and A. whitfieldi Bryant (Biondi et al., 2013). Indeed, these flea beetle species feed on leaves, leading to heavy defoliation as well as the death of the plant, even with few hundreds of individuals (Biondi et al., 2013; Sawadogo & Nacro, 2016, 2017; Sawadogo et al., 2015). These three species were chosen as a unique modelling unit, considering their overlapping trophic niche, and also taking into account the morphological features and phenological cycles, as suggested by the application of the ‘lumping’ approach by Smith, Godsoe, Rodríguez‐Sánchez, Wang, and Warren (2019) and references therein.…”

“…Notwithstanding the high economic importance of J. curcas plantations, only some case studies about the adverse effects of A. cookei species group on these plants in sub‐Saharan Africa were conducted by the scientific community in last years (Hartman, Pawlowski, Herman, & Eastburn, 2016; Sawadogo & Nacro, 2017). No studies are available combining the distribution of both plant and insects to obtain a more comprehensive and general trend for the future.…”

“…In sub‐Saharan Africa, where many cultures are found in the tropical and subtropical areas, phytophagous insects of the genus Aphthona Chevrolat (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini) represent one of the most harmful pests of this shrub. Among them, three species of the Aphthona cookei species group sensu Biondi, Urbani, and D’Alessandro (2013), namely A. cookei (Gerstaecker), Aphthona dilutipes Jacoby and Aphthona whitfieldi Bryant, feed on leaves, leading to heavy defoliation and even the death of the plant with few hundreds of individuals, with resulting important negative impacts on local economies (Biondi et al, 2013; Sawadogo & Nacro, 2016, 2017; Sawadogo, Nagalo, Nacro, Rouamba, & Kenis, 2015).…”

A Continental-Scale Connectivity Analysis to Predict Current and Future Colonization Trends of Biofuel Plant’s Pests for Sub-Saharan African Countries

“…The three target species of Aphthona that are considered here, namely A. cookei (Gerstaecker), A. dilutipes Jacoby and A. whitfieldi Bryant (hereafter called A. cookei complex), are among the most damaging pests of Sub-Saharan J. curcas cultivations (e.g., [22,32,33]). Indeed, these flea beetle species feed on leaves, leading to heavy defoliation as well as to the death of the plant, even with a few hundred individuals [22][23][24]34]. These three species were chosen as a unique modelling unit, considering their overlapping trophic niche and taking into account the morphological features and phenological cycles [21].…”

“…On the other hand, co-occurring insect species often damage plants of commercial relevance [18][19][20], with subsequent high economic losses [21]. Indeed, the presence of native flea beetles belonging to the Aphthona cookei species complex sensu Biondi et al (2013) [22], hinders the cultivation of J. curcas in Sub-Saharan Africa, as they feed on its leaves, leading even to the death of the plant [23,24].…”