The relationship between weed types and the occurrence of Catantops spissusspissus Walk. (Orthoptera:Acrididae) in oil palm plantations
DOI:10.36108/NJE/3891/40.0190
APPIAH, F.O., NWANNA,I.E. and AGWU, S.I.
ABSTRACT: A Field survey of the possible host plants of Catantops spissus spissus was made at the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR), Benin City. Out of 53 weed species recorded from field 13 and 14, only Eupatorium odoratum Linn. showed any significant relationship (r = 0.3271 at 5%) with the occurrence of the insect. There was a negative correlation between weed diversity and insect population. The coefficients of variation in types and density of weed species were very large being 244.80% for field 13 and 224.63% for field 14, and indicate a wide range in the population of weeds from plot to plot. However, the population of the insect was higher in field 13 with a vegetation height of between 66.8 and 80.0 cm than in field 14 where the vegetation was between 15.4 and 38.0 cm high.