Journal of Applied Entomologist

Assessing the health of freshwater ecosystems: the role of biomonitoring scores and diversity indices in evaluating aquatic insect populations

2025-05-02T06:28:13+00:00

Aquatic insects play a significant role in freshwater systems as they provide information regarding the ecological conditions and changes that take place by acting as bio monitors, hence conditions such as the presence of mayflies, dragonflies, and stoneflies would serve as an indicator to assess the quality of water. The changes to water bodies such as changes in pH, temperature and oxygen levels lead to shifts in aquatic communities and changes to environmental conditions are closely related which can affect the community makeup. An attempt has been made to highlight the significance of biomonitoring score and diversity index to study freshwater insect.

Assessment of the susceptibility of different cereal grains to Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Katsina state, Nigeria

2025-05-08T04:42:24+00:00

Investigations were carried out to assess the susceptibility of local varieties of some selected local varieties of cereal crops namely maize, rice and sorghum to the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais Motsch. Five pairs of unsexed adults of the weevils were introduced into rearing bottles containing 100 g of each type of clean and disinfested grains in Postgraduate Laboratory of the Department of Biology of Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina (UMYUK) at 27±2^oC and 65±5% (RH). The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) and replicated five times. Adult emergence, mean developmental periods, grain weight loss, index of susceptibility of the weevils and concentration of body protein of S. zeamais were investigated. Highest number (194.60 ± 1.21) of emerged adults of the weevils was recorded in sorghum, while the least (88.80 ± 1.75) was in rice. The longest developmental period (27.51 ± 1.21 days) of the weevil was in sorghum, while the shortest (25.63 ± 1.36 days) in maize. Grain weight loss due to infestation of S. zeamais ranged from 5.42 ± 2.32% in rice to 7.48 ± 3.12% in sorghum. The index of susceptibility showed that both maize and sorghum were susceptible, while rice was moderately resistant to S zeamais. Farmers are advised not to store sorghum and maize for a relatively long period of time over rice variety in a mix storage system.

Arthropod pest infestation of dried fish sold in Gashua market, Yobe state, Northeast Nigeria

2025-07-02T12:25:18+00:00

An entomological survey to investigate the arthropod pest’s infestation of dried fish sold at Gashua Market, Yobe State, Nigeria was carried out between May, 2023 and August, 2023. Dried fish samples of different species dried sold in Gashua market, were purchased from different fish sellers; the fish sample was sealed in a polythene, numbered serially. The fish were identified by an ichthyologist in the Biological Sciences Laboratory, Federal University Gashua. Each of the dried fish samples was exposed on an illuminated surface where they were visually examined with the magnified lens. The set-up was examined and arthropods caught were collected in a transparent collection bottle and identified key atlas obtained from the Nigeria Institute of Freshwater Fishes (NIFF). The survey of dried fish showed that (5) genera of smoked and dried fish were sold in the market (Hemichromis, Bagrus, Clarias, Labeo and Alestes). In arthropod pest of dried fish Aletes nurse has the highest percentage of 25.6% and Labeo senegalensis has the lowest percentage. The arthropod pest of derided fish, Bagrus bayad has the highest percentage 34.2%, of arthropods pest infestation Hemichromis bimaculatus has the moderate percentage of 29.9% and Clarias gariepinus constitute the lowest percent of 4.3 respectively.