Relationship between pheromone trap catches of Coniesta ignefusalis and larval infestation of a millet crop in Ghana

Adult male flight activity of the stem borer, Coniesta ignefusalis, was monitored from May 1996 to December 1997 using pheromone traps at the Manga Research Station in the Sudan savanna zone of Ghana. There appeared to be four generations per year, with peaks in June, July, September and October. For both years, the first peaks obtained from diapause larvae were the smallest. There was a significant positive correlation between trap catches and larval numbers in millet 3 weeks later and also between trap catches and the number of bored plants 3 weeks later. There was no significant relationship between larval infestation and crop damage, suggesting that larval count alone may not be a reliable indicator of C. ignefusalis damage to millet. Copyright © 2003 Whurr Publishers Ltd