Survey of Dysdercus Volkeri F. (Hemiptera: Pyrrhocoridae) in Cotton Agro-ecology of Some Local Governments in Katsina State, Nigeria

Abstract

Field surveys were conducted from July to December in the 2019 and 2020 cropping seasons in three Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Katsina State. The areas are Faskari, Kankara, and Malumfashi. These locations were chosen because farmers of these areas grow cotton on large scales. Three cotton cultivating villages were randomly selected from each LG for this study. In each village, three cotton fields of one hectare were considered for the D. volkeri nymph, adult populations, alternative host, and predators from three upper, middle, and lower portions of three randomly selected cotton plants. The result showed that the LGAs surveyed were the hotspots for D. volkeri nymph and adult populations in October and November, respectively. Dysdercus nymph had a higher occurrence in Burdigau (657) and Kukasheka (566) villages of Malumfasi Local Government. Similarly, Danmurabu, Gundawa, and Kankara villages had (624, 588 and 382) nymph populations, respectively in Kankara LGA. While in Faskari Local Government, Sheme, Kadisau, and Daudawa recorded 555, 350, and 297 nymph populations in the same month respectively. Higher numbers of adult populations were recorded in the month of November in all the three LGAs surveyed. Daudawa had (307), Kukasheka (266), and Gundawa (186) in Faskari, Malumfashi, and Kankara Local Government, respectively. Predators such as Odontopus sexpunctatus and Phonoctonus lutescens were found feeding by inserting their proboscis on D. volkeri adults at Marmara and Daudawa in Malumfashi and Faskari LGAs, respectively. The present findings will provide a baseline data on the status of Dysdercus pest in terms of distribution and abundance in cotton agro-ecological zones of Katsina State of Nigeria.