Cotonou, Benin – The identity of a mysterious plague of caterpillars and moths that are devastating crops and contaminating water supply in northern Liberia has been established through joint efforts by the FAO, IITA and CABI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The mystery insect has been identified as Achaea catocaloides<\/em> by Georg Goergen, IITA entomologist and taxonomist. He explains, \u201cThe moth plague in Liberia is not African armyworms, or Spodoptera exempta<\/em>, as earlier reported in the media, but belongs to the species A. catocaloides<\/em>. Although Spodoptera<\/em> et Achaea<\/em> moths are related, their feeding and breeding habits are quite different. For example, caterpillars of armyworms generally don’t attack trees as larvae of A. catocaloides<\/em>do.\u201d His finding was based from vital information provided by the FAO and CABI from the outbreak sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Tuesday, 3 February, Liberian Minister of Agriculture Chris Toe confirmed Goergen\u2019s finding in a press conference in Monrovia, announcing that \u201cthe caterpillars infesting villages, destroying crops and threatening food security of an estimated 350,000 people are of the A. catocaloides<\/em> species\u201d. The name is now commonly used in Liberia to refer to the insect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Achaea catocaloides<\/em> is a member of Lepidoptera group known as fruit-sucking moths. The adults pierce the ripening fruit and suck the juice. Rot-causing organisms then enter through these feeding punctures and cause early fruit drop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWithout proper identification, the FAO and the Liberian government would have engaged in a huge effort fighting the wrong insect,\u201d emphasizes Manuele Tam\u00f2, IITA entomologist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eric Boa, Head of the Global Plant Clinic at CABI, adds, “Correct taxonomic identification of this insect is crucial for managing this worrying problem. Now efforts can be focused in the right direction.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Goergen, the larvae, or caterpillars, of A. catocaloides<\/em> are primarily forest insects that feed on trees. However, populations can develop in large numbers and attack agricultural crops, especially in the absence or inefficiency of natural enemies brought about by climatic disturbances, such as the sudden interruption in rains, thereby leading to outbreaks of the moth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Banner image shows moth of A. catocaloides<\/em>. Photo courtesy of the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Belgium)<\/p>\n\n\n\n ###<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pour plus d'informations, veuillez contacter :<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr Georg Goergen, g.goergen@cgiar.org<\/a> Dr Manuele Tam\u00f2, m.tamo@cgiar.org<\/a> IITA – Benin Jeffrey T. Oliver, o.jeffrey@cgiar.org<\/a> Godwin Atser, g.atser@cgiar.org<\/a> Bureau de la communication \u00c0 propos de l'IITA<\/b> Cotonou, Benin – The identity of a mysterious plague of caterpillars and moths that are devastating crops and contaminating water supply in northern Liberia has been established through joint efforts by the FAO, IITA and CABI…<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":12769,"template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"tags":[],"science-area":[],"program":[],"location":[26],"news-type":[],"hub":[],"crop":[],"impact-areas":[],"item-year":[187],"class_list":["post-12983","news-item","type-news-item","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","location-benin","item-year-187"],"yoast_head":"\n
Entomologist<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Entomologist<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BP 08 0932
Cotonou, R\u00e9publique du B\u00e9nin<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Charg\u00e9 de communication d'entreprise (international)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Charg\u00e9 de la communication d'entreprise (Afrique de l'Ouest)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
IITA \u2013 Si\u00e8ge
Ibadan, Nig\u00e9ria<\/p>\n\n\n\n
L'Afrique a des probl\u00e8mes complexes qui minent l'agriculture et la vie des populations. Nous d\u00e9veloppons des solutions agricoles avec nos partenaires pour lutter contre la faim et la pauvret\u00e9. Notre [mot manquant ou \u00ab prim\u00e9 \u00bb] recherche pour le d\u00e9veloppement<\/a> is based on focused, authoritative thinking anchored on the development needs of sub-Saharan Africa. We work with partners in Africa and beyond to reduce producer and consumer risks, enhance crop quality and productivity, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is an international non-profit R4D organization since 1967, governed by a Board of Trustees, and supported primarily by the CGIAR<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"