An assemblage of approximately twenty moth species belonging to the families Crambidae, Pyralidae and Noctuidae constitute the most important cereal pests in many parts of Africa. The caterpillars of these moths bore into the stems of maize, sorghum, millet and rice, often killing the plant, and are commonly known as stem or stalk borers. The cereals attacked are grown on small farms to feed the farmers and their families and are of great importance as the staple food for the population in most parts of Africa. Complex control measures, including the use of chemicals, are often inappropriate. This book provides the information necessary for pursuing integrated pest management of African cereal stem borers, in particular strategies using natural enemy components. The book begins by characterizing the economically important species by region and by their biology and host plants. The book then describes in detail the taxonomy and rearing techniques for the moths, their larvae and their natural enemies. It includes illustrated keys of species and lists of distributions and hosts, and it concludes with a summary of current control measures and those being investigated.

Pests Control and Acarology presents novel methods adopted in pest management for cereal crops and fruit trees. Each chapter was written by experts in their respective areas, and provides a rigorous review and outline of current trends and future needs, to expedite progress in the field. The book was structured in three sections as follows. The first section introduces the topics and defines concepts of Integrated Pest Management and Biological Control. The second section includes two chapters: the first one discusses a new trap barrier system for rodent pest control in rice and the second one presents methods used in the management of stem borers in cereal crops. The third section presents various topics within the area of Acarology.

Introduction; Biology and ecology of rice-feeding insects; Natural enemies of West African rice-feeding insects; An illustrated key to the identification of selected West African rice insects and spiders.

Due to the worldwide importance of rice as a crop plant, the biology of rice pests is of great interest to agricultural research. This timely book brings together contributions from the fields of entomology, agronomy, population ecology, and biostatistics to provide a comprehensive survey of rice-insect interaction. Among the topics discussed are - crop loss assessment - economic thresholds and injury levels for incest pests - mosquito leafhoppers and planthoppers population dynamics - pheromone utilization - techniques for predator evaluation - chemical based for insect resistance - applications of tissue culture - systems analysis and - rice pestmanagement. With its emphasis on experimental techniques of pest analysis and control, Rice Insects: Management Strategies will be a valuable reference for researchers and practitioners alike.

Insect Pests of Millets: Systematics, Bionomics, and Management focuses on protecting the cultivated cereals that many worldwide populations depend on for food across the semi-arid tropics of the world. Providing coverage of all the major cultivated millets, including sorghum, pearlmillet, finger millet, barnyard millet, prosomillet, little millet, kodomillet, and foxtail millet, this comprehensive book on insect pests is the first of its kind that explores systematics, bionomics, distribution, damage, host range, biology, monitoring techniques, and management options, all accompanied by useful illustrations and color plates. By exploring the novel aspects of Insect-plant relationships, including host signaling orientation, host specialization, pest – host evolutionary relationship, and biogeography of insects and host plants, the book presents the latest ecologically sound and innovative techniques in insect pest management from a general overview of pest management to new biotechnological interventions. - Includes the most comprehensive and relevant aspects of insect systematics, including synonyms, nomenclatural history, and identification characters to quickly guide readers to desired information - Addresses aspects of insect-plant relationships, including host signaling and orientation, host specialization, pest – host evolutionary relationship, and biogeography of insects and host plant - Presents the latest research findings related to the ecological, behavioral, and physiological aspects of millet pests