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Effects of Calyx Fluid from a Population of Cotesia Sesamiae (Cameron) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on the Immune Response of Its Host Busseola fusca Fuller (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

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Abstract

Busseola fusca Fuller is one of the major lepidopteran stemborers of maize and sorghum in Africa. Cotesia sesamiae (Cameron) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is an indigenous, gregarious larval endoparasitoid that attacks mid- to late-instar stemborer larvae, which is reported to be one of the most important larval parasitoids of B. fusca in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Previous work has shown that two biotypes of C. sesamiae occur in Kenya which express differential abilities to develop in B. fusca. A biotype from western Kenya successfully develops in B. fusca, while a biotype from the eastern coastal area does not. We treated fourth-instars of B. fusca with calyx fluid from C. sesamiae from western Kenya (Kitale) before offering them to C. sesamiae from the Coast (Mombasa) for oviposition, and found that the eggs were not encapsulated. This suggests that factors in the calyx fluid of C. sesamiae from the western Kenya biotype were responsible for suppressing the immune system of B. fusca. We speculate that polydnaviruses in the calyx fluid were involved in disarming the host immune system, and that the polydnaviruses in the two biotypes are genetically different.

Résumé

En Afrique, le lépidoptère Busseola fusca est l’un des foreurs les plus importants sur le maïs et le sorgho. Cotesia sesamiae (Cameron) (Hyménoptère: Braconidae) est un parasitoïde larvaire grégaire et interne qui attaque les larves des foreurs à partir du troisième stade. Il est considéré comme le parasitoïde indigène le plus important de B. fusca dans plusieurs pays d’Afrique subsaharienne. Des études antérieures ont montré qu’il existe au Kenya deux biotypes de C. sesamiae ayant différentes capacités de développement dans B. fusca. Le biotype originaire de l’Ouest du Kenya se développe avec succès dans B. fusca, tandis que le biotype originaire de l’Est, sur la côte du Kenya, n’arrive pas á se développer dans B. fusca. Nous avons traité les larves du quatrième stade de B. fusca avec le fluide du calyx de C. sesamiae originaire de l’Ouest du Kenya (Kitale) et les avons offertes à C. sesamiae de la côte (Mombasa) pour ponte, nous avons observé que les oeufs pondus n’étaient pas encapsulés. Ce qui suggère que des facteurs dans le fluide du calyx de C. sesamiae de l’Ouest du Kenya étaient responsables de la suppression du système immunitaire de B. fusca. Nous pensons que des virus presents dans le fluide du calyx sont impliqués dans la suppression du système immunitaire de l’hôte et que les virus des deux biotypes sont probablement différents génétiquement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, P. O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya

    Moses B. Mochiah, Adele J. Ngi-Song & William A. Overholt

  2. Zoology Department, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana

    M. Botchey

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  1. Moses B. Mochiah
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  2. Adele J. Ngi-Song
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  3. William A. Overholt
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  4. M. Botchey
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Correspondence to Adele J. Ngi-Song.

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Mochiah, M.B., Ngi-Song, A.J., Overholt, W.A. et al. Effects of Calyx Fluid from a Population of Cotesia Sesamiae (Cameron) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on the Immune Response of Its Host Busseola fusca Fuller (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Int J Trop Insect Sci 22, 81–85 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400015095

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