Nest architecture as a tool for species discrimination of Hypotrigona species (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)

Hypotrigona species are difficult to identify morphologically. Here, we show that nest sites and nest architecture can be used to discriminate three Hypotrigona species found in Kenya. Hypotrigona gribodoi, H. araujoi and H. ruspolii colonies from Kakamega forest and H. gribodoi from Mwingi, were collected and placed in a meliponiary at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE). The following parameters were recorded: nest sites, internal nest entrances, external nest entrance colour and size, sizes (in terms of volume) of brood cells, honey and pollen pots, arrangement of brood cells and presence or absence of involucrum (cerumen covering brood). It was found that nest sites are specific to species. Hypotrigona gribodoi nests mostly in crevices inmudwalls whileH. ruspolii and H. araujoi nest in cavities in specific tree species, mainly in indigenous forests. The colour of external nest entrances varies between the species. H. araujoi’s is yellowish brown, H. gribodoi’s is white or cream while that ofH. ruspolii is dark brown. There is an internal nest entrance inH. gribodoi, which is absent in the other two Hypotrigona species. Brood cells are clustered in H. gribodoi and H. ruspolii whereas H. araujo’s formvertical semi comb-like layers. The area of the apical opening of the entrance tube and volumes of brood cells, honey and pollen pots differ significantly between the three Hypotrigona species. Therefore, nest sites and nest architecture can be used to discriminate three Hypotrigona species. Furthermore, the study indicates that conservation of indigenous forests, the main habitat for H. araujoi and H. ruspolii is important for their conservation.https://journals.co.za/content/journal/entohj2020Zoology and Entomolog

Larvae, Cocoon And Post-Cocoon Characteristics Of Bombyx Mori L. (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) Fed On Mulberry Leaves Fortified With Kenyan Royal Elly

Fourth instar Bombyx Mori silkworm larvae were fed on mulberry leaves to which royal jelly had been added. The impact on the larval, cocoon, shell and pupal weight, shell ratio percentage, filament length and weight, and the number of breaks during reeling were examined. The results indicate that royal jelly-enhanced diet significantly increased larval, cocoon and pupal weights, but had no significant effect on shell weights and denier. Similarly filament length, weight and filament reeling breaks were significantly different between controls and royal jelly fed groups. The cocoon shell ratio percentage was significantly higher in the control compared to the royal jelly fed groups. Results established positive trends in all the values of different parameters observed in the experimental group against the control group, apart from the cocoon shell ratio percentage. Results imply that supplementing mulberry leaves with royal jelly has the potential to enhance the commercial qualities of silk and can be used in sericulture for yield improvement

Grasshopper and locust control using microsporidian insecticides

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Not AvailableThe major and micronutrients are important elements that govern the fertility of the soils and control the yields of the crops. Soil fertility evaluation of an area or region is an important aspect in context of sustainable agricultural production, particularly for arid region where, sparse and highly variable precipitation, extreme variation in diurnal temperature, high evaporation and low humidity, the alluvial and aeolian landforms have given rise the variability in soils. Besides, acute moisture deficit, wind erosion is most serious limiting factor limiting biological productivity of the district. The region had extreme fallowing in past even during the good rainfall years. But because of increase in population and its activities lot of area are being brought under cultivation, even dunes of several meters heights are also cultivated. In present era of technological advancement in agriculture it is of immense interest to study the fertility status of soils. Although the widespread deficiencies of major and micronutrients in arid Rajasthan has been reported by Joshi et al. 1989; Gupta et al. 2000. The information on availability of major and micronutrients of the study area is meager and mainly based on the widely scattered sampling that is hardly sufficient to bring the variability inherent in the soils of the area. Therefore a comprehensive study was undertaken to know the fertility status of soils occurring in the district and an attempt was also made to correlate micronutrient content of the soils with other soil properties.ICAR-CAZR