TY - JOUR
T1 - Feeding preferences of the legume pod borer Maruca vitrata (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) larvae and suitability of different flower parts for larval development
AU - Traore, Fousséni
AU - Dabire-Binso, Clémentine L.
AU - Ba, Niango Malick
AU - Sanon, Antoine
AU - Pittendrigh, Barry Robert
PY - 2013/6
Y1 - 2013/6
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.
AB - 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
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84877124396&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84877124396&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S1742758413000088
DO - 10.1017/S1742758413000088
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84877124396
SN - 1742-7584
VL - 33
SP - 107
EP - 113
JO - International Journal of Tropical Insect Science
JF - International Journal of Tropical Insect Science
IS - 2
ER -