Ecological Entomology (1979) 4, 277-288

W.W. Page and A.R. McCaffery (1979)
Characteristics and distribution of oviposition sites of the grasshopper Zonocerus variegatus (L.)
Ecological Entomology 4 (3), 277-288
Abstract: The dry season population of Zonocerus variegatus in southern Nigeria oviposits in dense aggregations under single or clumped woody plants or on the edge of tall continuous stands of vegetation. Single egg pods were not found. The vegetation under which oviposition occurs is the most common available at the time of year; there seems to be no selection of particular species of plants so long as they provide good low shade. Oviposition can take place in a wide range of gravelly soils. Topography is not important as long as the oviposition site is on high ground away from damp areas subject to flooding. A mean of 618 pods per oviposition site was recorded from 41 sites, and there was a significant correlation between the area of a site and the number of pods. There was a marked tendency for oviposition sites to be found close to cassava (Manihot esculenta); at two localities of approximately 20 ha each, 907 of the sites were within 30 m of cassava. It is suggested that permanent shade is the most important factor in the selection of a site, and this is probably related to the survival of the eggs during their 6-7 months of development.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied from Acridological Abstracts with permission by NRI, Univ. of Greenwich at Medway.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Alan R. McCaffery

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
environment - cropping system/rotation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Zonocerus variegatus	Cassava (Manihot esculenta)	Nigeria