TY  - JOUR
AV  - public
A1  - Traore, F
A1  - Dabire-Binso, C L
A1  - Malick Ba, N
A1  - Sanon, A
A1  - Pittendrigh, B R
TI  - Feeding preferences of the legume pod borer Maruca vitrata (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) larvae and suitability of different flower parts for larval development
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1742758413000088
JF  - International Journal of Tropical Insect Science
SN  - 1742-7584
PB  - Cambridge University Press
N1  - Dr Malick, Ba is presently associated with ICRISAT(Niamey)
N2  - With the advent of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-cowpea, there is a need to identify the feeding preferences of Maruca vitrata Fab. to determine in which component of the plant the expression of the toxin needs to be the highest to ensure the greatest efficacy of insecticidal Bt proteins. In the current study, we examined the feeding preferences of M. vitrata larvae in a naturally infested cowpea field. We also tested, in the laboratory, the suitability of different flower components for the larval development of M. vitrata. Our results indicate that in the field, all types of flowers, regardless of their age, were infested with M. vitrata larvae. The reproductive organs, in the flowers, were the preferred feeding diet for the larvae. Laboratory bioassays confirmed that the reproductive organs were the optimal tissues for M. vitrata larval development. The implications of these findings for transgenic Bt-cowpea are discussed.
KW  - cowpea
KW  -  flower components
KW  -  larval development
Y1  - 2013///
SP  - 107
ID  - icrisat6844
EP  - 113
VL  - 33
IS  - 02
ER  -