Abstract: Tuta absoluta feeds on solanaceous plants with preference on tomato. Management of the pest is mostly with chemical insecticides. This study identified insecticide resistant populations and predicted resistance to insecticides. Insecticide resistance development was modelled using system thinking, and system dynamics approaches. The model showed the pest resistance development is alarming with an exponential increase of the resistance strength mostly in recent years. Furthermore, w...
Abstract: Abstract: Flower visiting stingless bees store collected pollen and nectar for times of scarcity. This stored food is of high value for the colony and should be protected against con- and that might rob them. There should be high selective pressure on the evolution of mechanisms todiscriminate nestmates from non-nestmates and to defend the nest, i.e., resources against intruders.Multimodal communication systems, i.e., a communication system that includes more than sensory modality ...
Abstract: The genus Tanaostigma is newly recorded from the Afrotropical region and three new species are described: Tanaostigma lasallei van Noort sp. nov. (South Africa), Tanaostigma mulu van Noort sp. nov. (Kenya) and Tanaostigma ukumbusho van Noort sp. nov. (Kenya). We provide comprehensive images of the holotypes and an illustrated identification key to the African species. New country distribution records are provided for Tanaostigmodes tambotis Prinsloo & LaSalle, 1995. All images pres...
Abstract: Olfaction is orchestrated at different stages and involves various proteins at each step.For example, odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) are soluble proteins found in sensillum lymph that might encounter odorants before reaching the odorant receptors. In tsetse flies, the function of OBPs in olfaction is less understood. Here, we investigated the role of OBPs in Glossina fuscipes fuscipes olfaction, the main vector of sleeping sickness, using multidisciplinary approaches. Our tissue e...
Abstract: Insects that transmit many of the world’s deadliest animal diseases, for instance trypanosomosis, find their suitable hosts and avoid non-preferred hosts mostly through olfactory cues. The waterbuck repellent blend (WRB) comprising geranylacetone,guaiacol, pentanoic acid, and δ-octalactone derived from waterbuck skin odor is a repellent to some savannah-adapted tsetse flies and reduces trap catches of riverine species. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms associated wi...
Abstract: Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) plagues threaten agricultural production, food security and the environment across Africa, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia. Control methods targeting adult desert locusts present significant challenges and financial costs. Recognizing this, we developed a ground-breaking fuzzy set Mamdani type inference model that provides an innovative solution for early warning alerts. The model aids in predicting the juvenile stages of locust development...
Abstract: Data on the biotransfer of heavy metals along the soil-plant-edible insect-human food chain collected along a 60km pollution gradient is presented here. These datasets consists of concentrations of eight heavy metals (Arsenic, Cadmium, Copper, Chromium, Iron, Nickel, Lead and Zinc) in the soils, in five host plants species, and in seven edible insect species determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). Datasets for the daily intake of metals and target hazard quotien...
Abstract: Stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) provide pollination services to crops and produce high–quality honey. The application of agrochemicals during the management of crop pests is an increasing threat to pollina tors and the ecosystem services they provide. Biopesticides are considered as better alternatives; however, there is limited evidence of their impact on stingless bees. We evaluated the effect of the most widely used African fungal biopesticide (Metarhizium anisopliae ICIPE...
Abstract: Landscape fragmentation and habitat loss at multiple scales directly affect species abundance, diversity, and productivity. There is a paucity of information about the effect of the landscape structure and diversity on honey bee colony strength in Africa. Here, we present new insights into the relationship between landscape metrics such as patch size, shape, connectivity, composition, and configuration and honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony strength characteristics. Remote-sensing-b...
Abstract: Several biophysical factors are leading to the loss of biodiversity, among them the dominance of exotic invasive species on native communities is important. Their dominance can lead to changes in the structure of insect communities, by competing and displacing native species to other crops or habitats. These changes can impact the herbivore’s natural enemies in invaded areas by diverging them from suitable herbivores and altering their biological control process. The development ...
Abstract: The contribution of seasonality in species communities to elevational diversityof tropical insects remains poorly understood. We here assessed seasonal pat-terns and drivers of bee diversity in the Eastern Afromontane BiodiversityHotspot, Kenya, to understand the contribution of seasonality to elevationalbiodiversity patterns. Bee species and plant species visited by bees wererecorded on 50 study plots in regrowth vegetation across four major seasonsalong two elevation gradients fr...
Abstract: Background: The black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) is the most promising insect candidate for nutrient-recycling through bioconversion of organic waste into biomass, thereby improving sustainability of protein supplies for animal feed and facilitating transition to a circular economy. Contrary to conventional livestock, genetic resources of farmed insects remain poorly characterised. We present the first comprehensive population genetic characterisation of H. illucens. Based on ...
Abstract: The sustainable utilization of black soldier fly (BSF) for recycling organic waste into nutrient-rich biomass, such as high-quality protein additive, is gaining momentum, and its microbiota is thought to play important roles in these processes. Several studies have characterized the BSF gut microbiota in different substrates and locations; nonetheless,in-depth knowledge on community stability, consistency of member associations,pathogenic associations, and microbe–microbe and hos...
Abstract: Background: Below-normal availability of water for a considerable period of time induces occurrence of drought. This paper investigates the Spatio-temporal characteristics of meteorological drought under changing climate. The climate change was analyzed using delta based statistical downscaling approach of RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 in R software packages. The meteorological drought was assessed using the Reconnaissance Drought Index (RDI).Results: The result of climate change projections...
Abstract: Efforts to recycle organic waste using black soldier fly (BSF) larvae into high-quality alternative proteiningredients in animal feeds and organic fertilizers have gained momentum worldwide. However, thereis limited information on waste manipulation to increase nutrient retention for enhanced larval perfor-mance and frass fertilizer quality. In the present study, brewer’s spent grain with a carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio of 11 (control) was amended with sawdust to obtain substrat...