Abstract: Host-seeking is an important component of mosquito vectorial capacity on which the success of the other behavioural determinants depends. Blood-seeking mosquitoes are mainly guided by chemical cues released by their blood hosts. This thesis describes results of a study that determined the effect of microorganisms – host skin bacteria as well as malaria parasites – on host-seeking behaviour of female Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto and An. arabiensis in Homabay county, western K...
Abstract: Mango, Mangifera indica L (Anacardiaceae) is an important tropical fruit providing opportunities for income generation and improvement of livelihoods of millions of farmers across Africa. However, fruit production is limited by several constraints; ranking high among these is the infestation by Tephritid fruit flies such as Bactrocera invadens and Ceratitis cosyra.
Abstract: It is not well understood how termites survive in hemiedaphic habitats with diverse array of potentially infective fungi. In the present study, it was initially found that Macrotermes michaelseni detected a virulent isolate of Metarhizium anisopliae from some distance in a specially designed Y-olfactometer and avoided direct physical contact through olfaction. The overall objective of the study was to evaluate the relationship between virulence and repellency of different isolates ...
Abstract: Conservation of Apis mellifera requires detailed knowledge of the subspecies identity, diversity and factors threatening their survival. Despite the increasing reports on the spread and damage caused by both exotic and indigenous honey bee pests to bee populations in many parts of Africa, there is dearth of knowledge on the ecology of honey bees and their pests in Central Africa and Cameroon in particular. Furthermore, management practices such as use of different beehive types acr...
Abstract: Oviposition decisions are a prominent example of behaviour directly affecting the fitness,abundance, distribution, and population dynamics of holometabolous insects. Due to eggs being immobile and adult insects often not practicing biparental and/or maternal care, gravid females, when ovipositing, should select substrate(s) that maximise fitness of their offspring.Studies have revealed that this selection is influenced by biotic (intra and interspecific competition, parasitism, lar...
Abstract: Chapter 18 IntroductionSuccess in malaria vector control in recent years has been attributed largely to the widespread distribution and utilization of long lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS)(WHO, 2019). The disruption of contact between the human host and the vector remains a very effective mechanism of controlling mosquito-borne diseases when applied in combination with other tools such as effective diagnosis, prevention of mother to child ...
Abstract: To investigate the effects of variation in host quality on densities and sizes of three levels of consumers, a cabbage-aphid-parasitoid foodweb was analyzed. Three close related cabbage populations were studied: Brassica oleracea var. gemnifera cv. Cyrus, a feral Brassica oleracea and a wild cabbage type Old Harry as source of variation in host plant quality. A field experiment were established in Wageningen, The Netherlands to measure the effects on densities of herbivores. Aphids...
Abstract: In the past 3 decades, arboviruses have become a major cause of re-emerging epidemic diseases in the world. Amongst the arboviruses, dengue and chikungunya fevers which are transmitted by Aedes spp have become more prevalent and have spread far beyond traditional areas of distribution - mainly in Africa and Asia - to cause severe morbidity, mortality, and economic harm. Currently control of these diseases solely depends on vector control as there is no treatment or vaccine. This ca...
Abstract: Malaria control strategies that target adult mosquitoes are challenged by the emergence of insecticide resistance and behavioral changes of vectors. The conventional approach of applying larvicides is limited by high operational costs and inadequate knowledge of mosquito breeding habitats especially in rural African communities. This study developed a potential mosquito contamination site, assessed the potential of adult female Anopheles gambiae s.s to pick up fluorescent dye and a...
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ABSTRACT Laboratory experiment was conducted to determine the insecticidal activity of leaves and stem bark powder of Sodom apple (Calotropis procera) and optimum concentration for the management of maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais). Actellic dust 50g was used as positive control and untreated Maize seeds serving as negative control. The experiment was laid in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) comprising of Leaf powder (1, 3 and 5 g), stem bark powder (1, 3 and 5 g), Actellic dust and contro...
ABSTRACT Cocoa is Ghana's dominant cash crop and the major economic activity for over 800,000 households, with around 6.3 million Ghanaians but insect pest is causing devastating effect on yield. This study sought to obtain information about insect diversity, to generate species list of entomofauna in cocoa farms, to compare the diversity and abundance of the insect and to determine the monthly variation of insect species under differently managed systems in Semi-Deciduous Rain Forest (Suhum...
ABSTRACT Cosmopolites sordid us is a major pest of plantain in most plantain growing regions in the world and causing 34.8% yield loss in Ghana. Info chemicals (pheromones and kairomones) can be a potential monitoring tool for plantain weevil borer Cosmopolites sordidus Germar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). The adult weevil produces an aggregation pheromone which attracts both males and females and the attractive compound Sordid in has been identified and synthesised for commercial purpose. Th...
ABSTRACT Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) is one of the malaria vector control tools used in the control of malaria and has helped to reduce malaria transmission in many areas in SubSaharan Africa. This involves spraying the walls of rooms with insecticides so as to kill any mosquito that rest on the insecticide treated walls after feeding. However, recent discussions have been centered on the role unsprayed surfaces such as hanging cloths play in sprayed rooms in malaria transmission. In thi...
ABSTRACT Bemisia tabaci is an important agricultural pest worldwide, which used to be a minor, pest in Ghana but has become a major pest mainly due to the misuse of insecticides. The objectives of this thesis were to examine the occurrence of biotypes, within and between-plant distribution, dispersion and sampling methods for 6. tabaci adults on cassava, tomato, okra, garden egg and coral plant. Using cross-infestation, population trends and random amplified polymorphic DNA - polymerase chain...