Niche overlap and interspecific association between Chilo partellus and Chilo orichalcociliellus on the Kenya coast

Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) and Chilo orichalcociliellus Strand (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) occur sympatrically on the Kenya coast and are injurious to maize and sorghum. Evidence over a period of 30 years indicates that the indigenous stem borer, C. orichalcociliellus, is being gradually displaced by th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Entomologia experimentalis et applicata 1999-11, Vol.93 (2), p.141-148
Main Authors: Ofomata, V.C. (International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi (Kenya).), Overholt, W.A, Huis, A. van, Egwuatu, R.I, Ngi-Song, A.J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
BIOLOGICAL COMPETITION
Chilo orichalcociliellus
CHILO PARTELLUS
COMPETENCIA BIOLOGICA
COMPETITION BIOLOGIQUE
competitive displacement
Demecology
ECOLOGIA
ECOLOGIE
ECOLOGY
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
interspecific association
interspecific competition
KENIA
KENYA
Laboratorium voor Entomologie
Laboratory of Entomology
niche overlap
PE&RC
Protozoa. Invertebrata
SORGHUM BICOLOR
ZEA MAYS
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Summary:Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) and Chilo orichalcociliellus Strand (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) occur sympatrically on the Kenya coast and are injurious to maize and sorghum. Evidence over a period of 30 years indicates that the indigenous stem borer, C. orichalcociliellus, is being gradually displaced by the exotic stem borer, C. partellus. The two species have overlapping niches, but the specific mechanisms driving the displacement are unknown. The distribution and extent of niche overlap and interspecific association between C. partellus and C. orichalcociliellus were investigated in cultivated and wild host plants. No difference in the within‐plant distribution of the two borer species in maize and sorghum was found. A niche overlap of 83.7% between C. partellus and C. orichalcociliellus was found. A weak positive association was found between small‐, medium‐, and large‐sized larvae of C. partellus and C. orichalcociliellus. However, as larvae grew, the association decreased with no significant association at the pupal stage. No negative association was found between C. partellus and C. orichalcociliellus, suggesting that the two species do not avoid or directly harm each other. The partial displacement of C. orichalcociliellus may therefore, be attributed to intrinsically superior attributes of C. partellus that indirectly affect the survival of C. orichalcociliellus.
ISSN:0013-8703
1570-7458
DOI:10.1046/j.1570-7458.1999.00572.x