Psyche: A Journal of Entomology
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Butterfly Abundance and Diversity in Different Habitat Types in the Usangu Area, Ruaha National Park

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 Journal profile

Psyche publishes original research articles as well as review articles in all areas of basic entomology. Psyche is the official publication of the Cambridge Entomological Club, which founded the journal in 1874.

 Editor spotlight

Chief Editor Dr Ai-Ping Liang is based at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. His research interests center around the taxonomy, morphology, phylogeny, evolution and biogeography of spittlebug superfamily Cercopoidea and planthopper superfamily Fulgoroidea.

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Research Article

Species Composition of Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) on Selected Fruit Crops in Northeastern Ethiopia

A study was conducted to characterize the species composition of fruit flies in South Wollo and North Wollo administrative zones of northeastern Ethiopia. Fruit flies were collected using two methods: rearing from infested mango, guava, and sweet orange fruits and trapping the adults with male lures and food-based attractants. Three fruit fly species were recovered from the fruits collected: Bactrocera dorsalis, Ceratitis cosyra, and Ceratitis capitata; in addition to these species, Ceratitis fasciventris was trapped. Bactrocera dorsalis was the most abundant species and accounted for 97.9 and 78.89% of the total trapped and emerged adults, respectively. The number of B. dorsalis and C. capitata showed a significant difference among trapping locations and attractants. The highest number of B. dorsalis was trapped with methyl eugenol at Kalu (722.2 flies per trap per week). Among the indigenous fruit fly species, C. capitata was higher at Habru which was guava and coffee-dominated habitat, whereas C. cosyra was relatively higher at Kobo which is mango dominated. More adults were trapped in male lure traps (97.03%) than in food-based attractants (2.97%). Hence, fruit fly management should focus on guava and mango crops which host all the fruit fly species, including the dominant B. dorsalis.

Research Article

Genome Resequencing of the Honeybee Apis mellifera jemenetica (Hymenoptera: Apidae): A Key Tool towards Characterization, Conservation, and Genomic Selection

We report the whole-genome sequence of the Arabian honeybee (Apis mellifera jemenetica). Seven A. m. jemenetica samples were sequenced representing three distinct subpopulations. Generated sequence reads were mapped to the reference honeybee Apis mellifera genome (Amel_HAv3.1). Data revealed genome-wide patterns of genetic variation which can be useful in the characterization and assessment of positive selection of the Arabian honeybee using different genetic markers. In total, 75.16 Gb of clean bases were generated, and the GC content of samples ranged between 31.9 and 35.3%. The effective reference genome size is 223,937,270 bp. The mapping rate of samples varied from 88.97% to 96.19%, and the effective mapping depth was between 41.80 and 48.84X. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among sequenced individuals ranged between 2379499 and 2396116 with respect to the reference A. mellifera genome (Amel_HAv3.1), and 2% of the SNPs were nonsynonymous. Genome Analysis Toolkit (GATK) detected 1097962–1109829 InDels and 10090–11962 structural variations (SV) from which 22.1 to 33.8% were in the form of deletions. Copy number variation (CNV) ranged between 550 and 2824, and 45–91% of them were downregulated. These variations among interbreeding individuals or groups of the same species may reflect an adaptive environmental response and fitness among different subpopulations and can be very useful for subspecies characterization, conservation, and selection of the Arabian honeybee.

Research Article

Occurrence and Pathogenicity of Indigenous Entomopathogenic Fungi Isolates to Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J. E. Smith) in Western Amhara, Ethiopia

The fall armyworm (FAW) (Spodoptera frugiperda J. E. Smith) is widely recognized as an invasive lepidopteran pest in Africa. Adoption of synthetic pesticides remains an option for emergency control of the FAW, but their large-scale use by small-scale farmers is costly and environmentally unsafe. Management options based on entomopathogenic fungi could minimize risks for health and the environment. In our study, the occurrence of entomopathogenic fungi in different habitats along with their pathogenicity to fall armyworm was examined. A total of 56 soil samples were collected from three locations. A standard isolation method, baited with the wax moth larvae (Galleria mellonella), was used for the isolation of entomopathogenic fungi from soil. Twelve entomopathogenic fungi were isolated from the total soil samples collected. It was observed that Metarhizium spp. was more frequent and widespread than Beauveria spp. and their occurrence was high in the forest habitat. Pathogenicity of indigenous entomopathogenic fungi isolates on fall armyworm larvae was tested by applying conidial suspension containing 1 × 108 spores/ml. All of the isolates tested were pathogenic to larvae of fall armyworm, with mortalities varying from 30 to 80% at 10 days posttreatment. Our results suggest that native entomopathogenic fungi could be integrated for the management of Spodoptera frugiperda larvae.

Research Article

Lavender and Geranium Essential Oil-Loaded Nanogels with Promising Repellent and Antibacterial Effects

Malaria and bacterial infections remain a life-threatening disease with a significant global impact. This study aimed to develop nanogels (NGs) of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) and geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L’Hér.) essential oils (EOs) with promising repellent and antibacterial effects. The NGs were formulated using a nanoemulsion-based gel approach; nanoemulsion droplet sizes and zeta potentials were obtained as 146 ± 7 and 106 ± 6 nm and −23.2 ± 0.7 and −17.4 ± 1 mV, respectively. The ATR-FTIR analysis confirmed the successful loading of EOs in NGs. Repellent bioassays conducted on Anopheles stephensi Liston. mosquitoes demonstrated that geranium NG (140 min) was as effective as DEET (140 min), a widely used repellent. Antibacterial tests showed that the nanogels effectively reduced bacterial growth, with the geranium NG exhibiting over 90% reduction against Escherichia coli Migula. The lavender NG displayed higher efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus Rosenbach. These findings highlighted the potential of nanogels containing EOs as promising repellents and antibacterial agents, offering a sustainable and eco-friendly approach for vector control and bacterial infections.

Research Article

Biology of the Endemic Endangered Swallowtail Butterfly, Papilio desmondi teita (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae), on Wild Citrus Species in Taita Hills, Kenya

The Taita Hills swallowtail butterfly, Papilio desmondi teita, was reared in captivity on wild citrus (Rutaceae), Toddalia asiatica and Clausena anisata, in Ngangao Forest, Taita Hills, Kenya. The butterflies were exposed to the host plants for oviposition inside the laying buckets under ambient laboratory conditions. Results revealed that P. desmondi teita could only complete development on T. asiatica and but not on C. anisata in both seasons. The egg incubation period on T. asiatica was significantly shorter ( < 0.001) compared to C. anisata during the first season ( = 0.595) but not in the second season. The development period of the butterfly in 1st and 2nd seasons on T. asiatica was 81.13 ± 0.44 days and 112.15 ± 1.20 days, respectively, while a female-biased sex ratio was observed in the first and second seasons. Findings from this study indicate that T. asiatica was the most suitable host plant for development of P. desmondi teita.

Research Article

Current Knowledge and Perception of Edible Grasshopper/Locusts’ Consumption in Western Kenya

Edible insects play an important role as a protein source of high-nutritional value in the western region of Kenya. However, current knowledge on edible grasshopper/locust species consumed in western Kenya and the perception towards these insects as an alternative protein source are not well documented. A questionnaire was issued to 901 respondents in four counties of western Kenya. The results showed that 91.6% of the respondents had heard that grasshoppers/locusts are edible insects and that 51.2% of the respondents had consumed them. The most frequently identified edible species was Cyrtacanthacris tatarica, with 58.6% cases followed by Schistocerca gregaria (25.7%), while Ruspolia differens was the least identified (1.2%). The majority of the consumers (60.0%) were introduced to entomophagy by their relatives, fewer by their friends (34.0%), and 5.7% by themselves. For those who had never eaten them, 53.8% were unwilling to try, while 11.9% were willing. On availability in the market, 97.9% indicated having never bought, while only 2.1% had bought the insect. The highly preferred method of cooking was smoking/roasting at 53.3%. The majority at 50.1% indicated the willingness to rear, while 21.0% were undecided. The frequency of the respondents who highly preferred to rear the insect for food and feed was 50.4%. The results suggest that the study population has knowledge of edible grasshopper/locust species and is willing to rear edible insects as an alternative protein food source.

Psyche: A Journal of Entomology
 Journal metrics
See full report
Acceptance rate-
Submission to final decision-
Acceptance to publication-
CiteScore0.900
Journal Citation Indicator0.320
Impact Factor1.1
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