Oecophylla longinoda is an effective biocontrol agent of the sap-sucking pests of cashew in the Coast region of Tanzania and should be considered as an important component of IPM.
Background. Insecticide resistance among the vector population is the main threat to existing control tools available. The current vector control management options rely on applications of recommended public health insecticides, mainly pyrethroids through long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS). Regular monitoring of insecticide resistance does not provide information on important factors that affect parasite transmission. Such factors include vector longevity, vector competence, feeding success, and fecundity. This study investigated the impacts of insecticide resistance on longevity, feeding behaviour, and egg batch size of Anopheles gambiae s.l. Method. The larval sampling was conducted in rice fields using a standard dipper (350 ml) and reared to adults in field insectary. A WHO susceptibility test was conducted using standard treated permethrin (0.75%) and deltamethrin (0.05%) papers. The susceptible Kisumu strain was used for reference. Feeding succession and egg batch size were monitored for all survivors and control. Results. The results revealed that mortality rates declined by 52.5 and 59.5% for permethrin and deltamethrin, respectively. The mortality rate for the Kisumu susceptible strain was 100%. The survival rates of wild An. gambiae s.l. was between 24 and 27 days. However, the Kisumu susceptible strain blood meal feeding was significantly higher than resistant colony (t = 2.789, df = 21,
P
=
0.011
). Additionally, the susceptible An. gambiae s.s. laid more eggs than the resistant An.gambiae s.l. colony (Χ2 = 1366, df = 1,
P
≤
0.05
). Conclusion. It can, therefore, be concluded that the wild An. gambiae s.l. had increased longevity, blood feeding, and small egg batch size compared to Kisumu susceptible colonies.
The efficacy of pollination biology of Mesogyne insignis is poorly known in fragmented forests of Amani Nature Reserve. This study was conducted to determine the effect of forest fragmentation on potential pollinators of this endangered species. Three intact forests and three forest fragments were selected for this study, the intact forests serving as control. Visual observation of insects visiting inflorescences, insect trapping and pollinator exclusion experiments were the methods employed in assessing pollination. Most members of the solitary bee genus Megachile were found to be potential pollinators of M. insignis. Diversity of pollinators was significantly higher in intact forests than in forest fragments. Overall, the total number of fruits set was significantly higher in intact forests than in forest fragments, perhaps a reflection of the higher diversity and abundance of potential pollinators in an intact forest. The pollination system of M. insignis is generalist in terms of systematic group of pollinators, and forest fragmentation may have significant impact on this pollination pattern. A similar study should be conducted in other Eastern Arc Mountains where M. insignis grows to find out whether the potential pollinators are similar or not.
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