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Available online at http://ajol.info/index.php/ijbcs Int. J. Biol. Chem. Sci. 4(4): 1217-1224, August 2010 ISSN 1991-8631 Original Paper http://indexmedicus.afro.who.int Olfactory host location in beetle bruchid parasitoid Dinarmus basalis (Hymenoptera : Pteromalidae) Oumarou RABI 1*, Ali D. BOULI 1 and Jean Paul MONGE 2 1Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université Abdou Moumouni. BP 10662 Niamey, Niger. 2 Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte URA CNRS 1298, Avenue Monge, Parc Grandmont, 37200 Tours, France. * Auteur correspondant, E-mail : [email protected] ABSTRACT The role of chemicals cues in host location by the parasitoid Dinarmus basalis (Rond.) was investigated in bioassays by measuring response to stimuli associated with one of its hosts, the larvae of beetle bruchid, Bruchidius atrolineatus (Pic.) infesting Vigna unguiculata (L. Walp.) seeds. Orientation of parasitoid females was measured in response to stimuli from non host-plants: ( Pennisetum typhoides (Burm.) and Sorghum bicolor (L. Moench), host-plant (cowpea) and plant-host complex. The results showed that D. basalis females were not attracted by stimuli from non host-plant but they were significantly oriented towards stimuli emanating from young host plant of V. unguiculata in vegetative stage and host-plant complex. Infested pods were more attractive than the healthy pods. © 2010 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved. Keywords: Bruchidius atrolineatus, chemicals cues, Vigna unguiculata. INTRODUCTION used by farmers to protect cowpea seeds In West Africa, bruchid beetles are (sluggish substances, insecticidal plants and the main pest of cowpea seeds (Vigna insectifuges) are less effective. Synthetic unguiculata ) which is a major source of insecticides are too costly for majority of the protein in this area. Adults of two species, producers. Besides these substances have Bruchidius atrolineatus and Callosobruchus consequences on the environment by toxicity maculatus (F.), colonize cowpea fields at the in trophic chain and thus on human health beginning of flowering. Females of the first (Guitart et al., 2010; Schecter et al., 2010) and generation lay their eggs on green pods and by surface and subterranean water pollution later on dry pods (Alzouma and Huignard, (Hela et al., 2005, Andrade and Stigter, 2009). 1981). The larvae develop inside the seeds Besides, it is necessary to mention the consuming the reserves of the cotyledons. resistance acquired by the devastating insects After harvesting, several generations develop due to the inconvenient and irrational use of on crops accounting serious losses (Monge chemical pesticides (Puinean et al., 2010). and Huignard, 1991). The traditional methods © 2010 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved. O. RABI et al. / Int. J. Biol. Chem. Sci. 4(4): 1217-1224, 2010 Biological control of cowpea pests Insects using Hymenopteran parasitoids is an Rearing conditions alternative currently under consideration for Insects were reared under climatic conditions the protection of cowpea. Insect population close to their zone of origin; 32: 25 °C, 12:12 dynamic studies in cowpea fields and stores h; 12: 12 h L: D; 70% RH in Niamey region in identified four species of parasitoids. Three Niger. are larval species: Dinarmus basalis (Rond.) Bruchid rearing (Pteromalidae), Eupelmus vuilleti (Crawford) Thirty couples of B. atrolineatus were (Eupelmidae) and Eupelmus orientalis released on one hundred seeds of cowpea (Crawford) (Eupelmidae) (Monge et al., placed in Plexiglas box (17.5 x 11.5 x 3 cm) 1995). The last one is an egg parasitoid to facilitate oviposition. After two days, the Uscana lariophaga Steffan seeds were separated from adult and progress (Trichogrammatidae) (Huis et al., 1990). was monitored regularly. The fourth instars However, under natural infestation conditions larval and pupae appeared after twenty to of cowpea seeds in the field, the number of twenty five days. these natural enemies is too low to provide Parasitoids rearing effective control of bruchids populations. Newly emerged adult of D. basalis Biological control of bruchids by were placed in Plexiglas cages (25 x 30 x 40) augmentative releases of natural parasitoids with cowpea seeds containing fourth instars could represent an interesting alternative for larvae and pupae. After two days, the seeds the low-income small-scale producers in West were removed from the cages. The adult Africa (Huis, 1991). The development of emerges to twenty days after oviposition. biological control methods particularly in They were used either for experiments or for fields requires knowledge on parasitoids long production of new generations. distance host location ability. There were General experimental conditions several studies on this aspect to numerous Newly emerged parasitoids were species of parasitoids (Mehrnejad and individually isolated in transparent Petri Copland, 2006; Rousse et al., 2007). However dishes (6.5 x 4 cm). Insects were fed with there is not enough information about the 10% sucrose water changed daily and question on D. basalis . The relations between maintained under these breeding conditions. this parasitoid and host plant are indeed poorly known. For this purpose, we Olfactometric device investigate in this communication olfactory The experiments were carried out in an orientation of the parasitoid D. basalis . olfactometer in form of Y-tube glass with 2.5 cm diameter, base length of 27 cm with two MATERIALS AND METHODS branches of 25 cm each connected to two Plant equivalent air flows with a flow rate of 0.5 Individual potted plants of cowpea (cv. m/sec each and meet in the common part Black Eyes) grown on peat were maintained (Figure 1). At the beginning, the flow of air is under greenhouse conditions (32:25 °C 12:12 single and comes from a compressor; it passes h ; 12: 12 h LD ; 70% RH). Three to four by a filter and is then divided into two weeks old plants of 10–15 cm height were equivalent flows towards two boxes before used for experiments. Four plants per entering in the olfactometer. One of the boxes experiment were used. was empty and the other contains the source of odour where the choice of the females between the fresh air and an odour was 1218 O. RABI et al. / Int. J. Biol. Chem. Sci. 4(4): 1217-1224, 2010 analyzed. In the event of test of choice vegetative stage (Figure 2). Indeed on 24 between two odours, the two boxes contain responding females, 21 have chosen the odour each one the odourous material. For each from the young plants (21/24) ( χ2 = 12; P < experiment, the behaviour of thirty females 0.01). A similar response was observed with was analyzed. Each female was placed at the flowers (24/30) ( χ2 = 9.6; P < 0.01) and green end of the common part of the tube and was pods (23/28) ( χ2 = 10; P < 0.01). observed during three minutes. Female made a By contrast, there were significant choice before three minutes and exceeded the differences between the numbers of females intersection of the two branches of the entering each of the two olfactometer arms olfactometer, entered and remained in one of when they were exposed to effluvia from both the branches. Females which presented other healthy seeds (26/30) ( χ2 = 17.6; P < 10 -5) and behaviour were not taken into account for pods (27/30) ( χ2 = 14.7; P < 0.001) (Figure 2). analysis. Female response to infested plant odours Odours tested Regarding the infested dry seeds and The following materials were tested: (i) pods, D. basalis females were significantly three week old cowpea plant; (ii) Fresh attracted by effluvia from V. unguiculata cowpea flowers; (iii) twenty green cowpea infested dry pods (24/30) ( χ2 = 14.8; P < pods, (iv) twenty dry cowpea pods, (v) one 0,001) and seeds (29/30) ( χ2 = 24.3; P< 10 -7) hundred dry cowpea seeds (vi) one hundred (Figure 3), however, they preferentially chose infested dry cowpea seeds; (vii) twenty the infested pods effluvia ( χ2 = 24.3; P < 10 -7) infested cowpea dry pods; (viii) three hundred as compared to those from healthy pods g sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ) dry grains and (29/30). (ix) three hundred g millet ( Pennisetum typhoides ) dry grains. Female response to non host plants Sorghum and millet are not host The response of D. basalis females to plants of bruchid , but were used because they chemicals from non-host, namely millet and are often cultivated in association with sorghum, did not show any a significant cowpea; so this parasitoid is submitted in the difference in attraction (Figure 4). The closely environment of its hosts and plant number of females attracted by the clean air hosts to effluvia from both sorghum and tend to be higher that the one associated with millet. females attracted by chemicals from both millet (13/30) ( χ2 = 0.3; P > 0.58) and sorghum Data analysis (11/30) ( χ2 = 1.63; P > 0.2). The results were analysed statistically χ2 using square test. DISCUSSION Our results indicate that the females of RESULTS D. basalis were attracted by entire cowpea Results on the response of Dinarmus. components and by the effluvia from the basalis to various sources of odour in a Y- inflorescences. Green pods as well as the dry tube olfacometer are presented in Figures 2 to ones elicit a significant response of D. basalis 4. female. A similar result has been found in Eupelmus orientalis (Crawford) worldwide Female response to healthy plant odours parasitoid of Bruchidae and sympatric of D. Dinarmus basalis females were basalis (Oumarou, 1999). Infochemicals significantly attracted by chemicals released associated with host habitat, are clearly by V. unguiculata young plants during 1219 O. RABI et al. / Int. J. Biol. Chem. Sci. 4(4): 1217-1224, 2010 Figure 1: Olfactometric device. 1. Humidifier 2. Y pipe 3. Ratemeter 4. Empty box or containing odourous material 5. Box containing odourous material 6.