Delayed and immediate oocyst rates; parous rates and sporozoite rates were obtained in Anopheles gambiae Giles, A. arabiensis Patten and A. funestus Giles from two villages in the Kilombero Valley, southern Tanzania during the wet season of 1991. Collection methods included light trap, indoor resting collection and nets with holes cut in their side. Mosquito survival estimates from parous rates obtained from light trap collections, were compared with estimates from capture–recapture experiments and from that obtained during a population decline. Methods of estimating the proportion of feeds infectious to mosquitoes, K, were also compared. This proportion varied between villages and species and was highest in the village with the greatest proportion of A. gambiae. We propose that absolute estimates of K should be obtained by determining the immediate oocyst rate and measuring the parous rate using the same host seeking mosquitoes. This estimate was only available from one village and ranged from 1.9% for A. gambiae s.l. to 3.4% for A. funestus.

The possibility that mosquitoes are diverted from protected people sleeping outdoors in a bednet to an unprotected person immediately adjacent was investigated during field trials conducted in an Afghan refugee village. The presence of an untreated bednet covering three people sleeping adjacent to the subject did not cause a significant rise in the biting rate on that subject. At the dose rates studied, biting rates in the presence of an ImperatorR treated bednet fell slightly (although not significantly). K-OthrineR treated bednets had no discernible effect on biting rates. Similar studies conducted within giant net traps showed that the ImperatorR treated bednet, and to a lesser extent the K-OthrineR treated bednet, did repel mosquitoes. Within these net traps, biting on the unprotected subject decreased considerably in the presence of the imperatorR treated bednets (P < 0.05 for both culicines and Anopheles stephensi Liston in the presence of the ImperatorR treated bednet). The net traps held in volatile components from the treated bednets in much the same way as the walls of a well ventilated room. We conclude that while sleeping next to a treated bednet may be of considerable benefit inside, where one sleeps in relation to a bednet outside is of little importance. Further studies revealed that for each mosquito species, insecticide induced mortality was highest when the bednet contained the preferred host of that species. This suggests that selection for pyrethroid resistance by bednets may be relatively slow to develop in areas where the primary vectors of malaria are zoophilic.

The observed mutualistic relationship between the black cocoa ant Dolichoderus thoracicus (Smith) and the mealybug Cataenococcus hispidus (Morrison) was examined. The importance of C. hispidus to D. thoracicus as a food source was investigated by giving D. thoracicus access to C. hispidus only, to C. hispidus and other food sources, and denying access to any obvious food sources. Dolichoderus thoracicus was seen to depend on C. hispidus alone as a source of food over an eight-week period of observation without showing ill effects. The role of D. thoracicus in spreading C. hispidus was studied in an experiment consisting of combinations of D. thoracicus and C. hispidus exclusion. It was shown that D. thoracicus was responsible for carrying C. hispidus across a ‘mealybug excluder’. Data on the frequency and duration of transport of C. hispidus by D. thoracicus were obtained by direct observation for a total of 90 h over 17 days. Both adults and nymphs of C. hispidus were carried by D. thoracicus with its mandibles in a brief and erratic manner, in the general direction of the trail. Such transportation is nevertheless considered to be important in view of the large number of individuals of D. thoracicus moving along a trail. The close mutualistic relationship between D. thoracicus and C. hispidus reiterates the necessity to manipulate both organisms for control of cocoa pests.

Four species of the psylloid genus Trioza damage Persea americana in Central and South America; two of these species, T. aguacate and T. godoyae are described as new; an identification key is provided for the six Trioza species known to develop on Persea species in the New World. A review is given of the psylloid species associated with the plant family Lauraceae.

The efficacy of abamectin (AgrimecR) and teflubenzuron (NomoltR) was assessed by leaf-dip bioassay against larvae of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella Linnaeus from a population (SERD3) collected originally in lowland Malaysia in December 1994. Evidence for resistance to both abamectin and teflubenzuron was found in the F7 generation (LC50 ratio of 60 and 24 respectively compared with a laboratory, insecticide-susceptible strain). Selection of sub-populations of SERD3 (F7–F9) with abamectin and teflubenzuron increased the LC50 ratio to 220 and 360 respectively and estimates of realized heritability [h2] were high (c. 0.8 and 0.9) for both compounds. There was no cross-resistance between these compounds in the abamectin and teflubenzuron-selected sub-populations but some indication of negatively-correlated resistance. Topical application of the synergists piperonyl butoxide, S,S,S-tributylphosphorotrithioate and maleic acid diethyl ester to the laboratory strain had no significant effect on the toxicity of abamectin or teflubenzuron in subsequent leaf-dip assays. In contrast, pre-treatment with piperonyl butoxide and S,S,S-tributylphosphorotrithioate significantly increased the toxicity of abamectin (c. 4- and 3-fold) and teflubenzuron (c. 7- and 19-fold) in the abamectin and teflubenzuron-selected sub-populations of SERD3, suggesting that microsomal monoxygenases and/or esterases may be involved in resistance. Pre-treatment with maleic acid diethyl ester only increased the toxicity of abamectin by c. 2-fold and had no significant effect on the toxicity of teflubenzuron, providing limited evidence for the involvement of glutathione-S-transferases in resistance to the former compound alone.

The developmental rate of Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) was determined on cucumber Cucumis sativus cv. Sandra over a range of constant temperatures. The lower developmental threshold (LDT) and the sum of effective temperatures (SET) for the pre-imaginal development were 10.7°C and 231.1°C, respectively. The rate of population increase was assessed as the sum of effective temperatures above the lower developmental threshold by monitoring the numbers of thrips on individual leaves of cucumber under commercial greenhouse conditions. Population growth was characterized by an early stochastic phase, corresponding to pre-imaginal development of the first generation, and followed by an exponential phase starting with the second generation, the rate of which did not vary between plants. Throughout the exponential phase, the rate of population growth increased with time/age of plant. As significant damage to cucumber may occur during the exponential phase of population increase, the sum of effective temperatures of 231°C can be used to predict when damage is likely to start to occur.

The UK glasshouses in which the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) is prevalent offer protection from adverse winter conditions. As such, F. occidentalis may not have been exposed to selection for cold tolerance that would allow successful overwintering in the field. In this study, the cold tolerance of larval and adult F. occidentalis has been assessed in the laboratory. Both age groups show pre-freeze mortality in chronic and acute cold exposures though adults are more cold hardy. Larvae and adults are both able to increase their cold tolerance in response to a combination of lower temperatures and decreased photoperiod. Field experimentation confirmed that F. occidentalis is unlikely to survive for the duration of a harsh UK winter, but a level of cold tolerance that would be adequate for survival in mild winters or for short exposures at sub-zero temperatures was observed.

Two of the most common and serious pests of maize and sorghum in the coastal areas of East Africa are the pyralid species, Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) and C. orichalcociliellus (Strand). Maize monocrop (with high and low plant density) and maize/cowpea mixed intercrop field experiments were conducted in Kenya to test if intercropping decreased the number of egg batches laid, altered the distribution of the egg batches and influenced egg parasitism. There was no significant difference in the number of egg batches per plant between treatments and the egg batches were randomly distributed on and among plants in most of the plots for all three treatments. There was a tendency for higher egg parasitism in the intercrop. The proportion of eggs parasitized was significantly correlated with total number of eggs per plot suggesting a positive density dependent response. It is concluded that intercropping does not affect C. partellus nor C. orichalcociliellus oviposition behaviour but egg parasitism is likely to be augmented.

Local parasitoid populations may be adapted to their sympatric major plant host complex. Parasitoid strains may thus differ in their propensity to search for a particular micro-habitat or host or they may differ in their physiological compatibility with particular plant or host species. Cotesia flavipes Cameron, a larval parasitoid used worldwide in biological control against tropical stemborers, has a wide host range in diverse habitats. The existence of plant and/or host specific strains in C. flavipes has been postulated. To provide insight into the existence of strains in C. flavipes, we compared the plant/host complex selection behaviour, and physiological compatibility with different stemborers, of six different geographic strains of C. flavipes that differed in the plant/host complex they were obtained from. The results of the host selection experiments indicate that there is no intraspecific variation in host selection behaviour among C. flavipes strains. However, our comparative experiments show variation in reproductive success among strains. The most significant result was that the strain with the longest period of co-existence with the new host Diatraea saccharalis Fabricius had the highest reproductive success on this host species. We argue that the reported existence of C. flavipes strains is based not on differences in host selection behaviour, but on differences in physiological compatibility between local parasitoid and host population.

Encarsia pergandiella Howard is the most abundant parasitoid of silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia argentifolii Bellows & Perring, in south Florida vegetable fields and can contribute significantly to natural biological control of this and other whitefly species. However, quality standards, costs, and risks in commercial tomato production are high, resulting in frequent recourse to chemical control. Therefore, successful utilization of biological control could depend on compatibility of the parasitoid with selective insecticides. We tested a wide range of potentially selective insecticides, represented by a mineral oil, an insecticidal soap, a neem seed extract and synthetic and natural sugar esters, against eggs, first and third instar larvae, pupae and adults, using a pyrethroid, CaptureR (20 g bifenthrin/1 EC), for comparison. CaptureR residues on nymphs exposed to adult parasitoids reduced parasitization more than other materials tested, and were most toxic to all parasitoid stages. Mineral oil caused high mortality to immature parasitoids, and residues reduced parasitization of E. pergandiella. However, oil residues were much less toxic to adults if applied as a spray to leaf surfaces than as a dip to a leaf and especially glass surfaces. In contrast, the toxicity of CaptureR was high regardless of bioassay method. Neem extract, insecticidal soap and both sugar esters tested had little or no effect on E. pergandiella. These latter materials could be considered selective in respect to E. pergandiella and might be used to suppress B. argentifolii without decimating parasitoid populations.

The role of photoperiod in controlling the termination of adult diapause in the Bombay locust, Nomadacris succincta Linnaeus (formerly Patanga succincta) was examined by exposing pairs of field-collected adults to different photoperiods at 30°C. Adults of this species appear in June and remain in diapause until March in the following spring. Female adults collected in November started laying eggs earlier at a 14 h photoperiod (L:D 14:10) than at a 12 h photoperiod (L:D 12:12), although the mean pre-ovipositional periods at the two photoperiods were not significantly different from each other. All first egg-pods produced by long-day females contained fertilized eggs while only some short-day pairs produced fertilized eggs in their first pod, indicating that mating was suppressed at a short photoperiod. In adults collected in January and exposed to a 10 h photoperiod (L:D 10:14), the mean time of first oviposition was significantly delayed compared to those exposed to a 14 h photoperiod. These results demonstrate that N. succincta uses daylength as a cue to control the time of diapause termination in the field. The time interval between the first and second egg-pod depositions was influenced not only by the physiological state of the females but also by the environmental conditions, i.e. photoperiod, and it was positively correlated with the length of pre-ovipositional period. The occurrence of a change in host preference by diapause adults and its ecological significance were also pointed out.

Two experiments were conducted to determine Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) moth and larval response on sorghum lines differing in levels of antibiosis and antixenosis. The inbred lines were E 302, IS 2205, IS 2122 and SA 2681, all reportedly varying in levels of antibiosis and ovipositional and larval antixenosis to C. partellus. Ovipositional antixenosis was evaluated in choice tests under cage conditions and significant differences were observed in the average number of egg batches per line. E 302 received the greatest number of egg batches. Antibiosis and larval antixenosis was evaluated with artificial infestation in a greenhouse. Significant differences occurred in larval numbers and mean larval mass on different lines, with E 302 possessing the greatest level of antibiosis resistance. This study indicates that resistant genotypes such as E 302 may exhibit high levels of antibiosis or larval antixenosis, but may also be preferred for oviposition. The size of egg batches was not influenced by ovipositional antixenosis. The potential effect of ovipositional antixenosis mechanisms on pest populations under field conditions is discussed.