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Diet of Zonocerus variegatus (L) (Orth., Acrididae) in cassava fields in Congo
Author(s) -
Gall P.,
Mingouolo E.,
Bani G.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of applied entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1439-0418
pISSN - 0931-2048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0418.1998.tb01453.x
Subject(s) - biology , chromolaena odorata , dry season , nymph , acrididae , botany , cultivated plant taxonomy , wet season , agronomy , ecology , weed , orthoptera
This paper presents the results of a study on the diet of Zonocerus variegatus on cassava at Kombé, near Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo. Diet was determined by the analysis of plant fragments in the faeces of insects sampled in the fields. Cassava and Chromolaena odorata are the major food plants for Z. variegatus in the ecosystem. Z. variegatus eats leaves and flowers of C. odorata. During the dry season it has a broader diet than during the wet season. This was contrary to expectation, as it was expected that water content and flora diversity would affect the diet. The dry season is also the time when C. odorata leaves are found in the faeces of both adults and nymphs. The decrease in nutritional value of plants may oblige Z. variegatus to diversify its diet. Cassava and C. odorata replace each other in the diet of Z. variegatus during the year. The choice of food plants is not determined by the frequency of plant species in the field. For major food plants, the age and the physiological state of plants play an important role. At Kombé, nymphs and adults are present throughout the year. Therefore, the diet exhibited each month does not depend on the development stage of insects.