Cycad Aulacaspis Scale (CAS) Aulacaspis yasumatsui Takagi as a major pest of Sago Palm Cycas spp. in Nigeria (Published)
Cycad aulacaspis scale (Aulacaspis yasumatsui Takagi) is native to the Southeast Asia specifically Thailand. Due to the trade in cycad plants for ornamental use in the world, it has been introduced widely in Asia, North America, the Caribbean, Europe, Pacific Islands, Ivory Coast and South Africa. Infestation by this scale can kill cycads in only a few months. Its introduction to these countries endangered the ornamental cycad-growing industry. In 2014, an introduced scale insect (Cycad aulacaspis scale) was discovered damaging cycads in a Bank premise, Port Harcourt. Survey was conducted on eight states (Cross River State, Rivers State, Abuja, Edo state, Akwa-Ibom state, Bayelsa state, Delta state and Lagos state) in Nigeria and report of severe damage was recorded. Management methods (cultural, chemical and biological) employed to manage the infestation proves ineffective as the scale insect was significantly seen three weeks after. The scale insect outnumbered their natural enemy tiny black lady beetle (Rhyzobius lophanthae) in these sampled locations and totally covers the entire plant within two months in a whitewashed scale-like appearance leading to chlorotic-yellow-brown leaves and eventual death of the plant. Therefore, this paper is aimed at reporting and creating awareness of the presence and outbreak of this insect pest (Aulacaspis yasumatsui Takagi) in Nigeria. Also, instant remedial measures should be taken to reduce the spread of this scale insect (Cycad aulacaspis scale) to other parts of Africa as to reduce the distribution of the scale insect on cycad species in this region.
Keywords: Cycad Aulacaspis scale, Damage, Infestation, Nigeria, Sago palm
Assessment of Field Insect Pests Damage on Cowpea in Gombe State, Nigeria (Published)
Survey of cowpea growing areas in the Eleven (11) Local Government Areas of Gombe State was carried out. Ten (10) communities each were sampled in Akko, Balanga, Yamaltu, Deba, Kaltungo, Nafada, Bajoka, Billiri, Kwami and Gombe Local Government Areas in 2017 and 2018 cropping seasons. The objective was to establish pest incidence and level of damage caused by insect pests in farmers’ fields. Questionnaires and discussions with practicing farmers, state agricultural extension workers from 107 sample sites, 100 cowpea pods were selected at random and analyzed for percentage pod damage by pod borers and pod sucking bugs. The cropping systems in which cowpea was grown were noted and percentage seed losses due to pests from each cropping system were analyzed and recorded. From the results, major insect pests encountered during the field visits were: foliage beetles, ants, termites, flower pests [thrips (Megalurothrips usitatus) and blister beetle (Mylabris pustulata)], pod borers (Helicoverpa armigera, Maruca testulalis, Etiella zinckenella), pod sucking bugs (Anoplocnemis curvipes, Riptortus dentipes, Clavigralla tomentosicollis, Nezara viridula), aphids (Aphis craccivora), and leaf damaging weevils (Myllocerus undecimpustulatus). Results also revealed that mean damage by pod sucking bugs was highest in Balanga (74.74%), Kwami (90.4%) and Yamultu/Deba (91.04%) and least in Balanga (48%) than the damage by pod borers in all the communities surveyed. Among the cropping systems observed in the areas, cowpea/maize intercrop recorded greater damage by pod borers than pod sucking bugs while cowpea/millet intercrop had the least damage by pod borers and pod sucking bugs followed by sole cropping.
Keywords: Damage, Insects pests, cowpea, cropping systems, pod borers, sucking bugs
Pest Alert: Outbreak of Anoplocnemis curvipes in RSU Citrus Orchard (Published)
The outbreak of a notorious insect pest Anoplocnemis curvipes was observed on citrus orchard in Rivers State University Teaching and Research farm. This piercing and sucking insect ravage fruits, young/succulent stems, delay normal seed formation and cause premature droppings and drying of fruits was observed for the first time in Rivers State University Citrus Orchard. Lambda-cyhalothrin insecticide was applied on the infested trees using a mist blower at a standard dosage to manage the insect pest. A total of 15,795 nymph/adult A. curvipes was counted at the base of five severely infested citrus trees after insecticide application. Due to the severity of the pest attack 100% yield loss was recorded. Therefore, this survey is reporting its damage as a pest alert and also to create awareness of the presence of this notorious polyphagous pest A. curvipes as a potential insect pest in our agro-ecological environment.
Keywords: Anoplocnemis curvipes, Damage, Lambda-cyhalothrin insecticide, citrus orchard