INFLUENCE OF INTERCROPPING ON THE ABUNDANCE, DISTRIBUTION AND PARASITISM OF CHILO SPP. (LEPIDOPTERA, PYRALIDAE) EGGS

Two of the most common and serious pests of maize and sorghum in the c oastal areas of East Africa are the pyralid species, Chile partellus ( Swinhoe) and C. orichalcociliellus (Strand). Maize monocrop (with high and low plant density) and maize/cowpea mixed intercrop field experim ents were conducted in Kenya to test if intercropping decreased the nu mber of egg batches laid, altered the distribution of the egg batches and influenced egg parasitism. There was no significant difference in the number of egg batches per plant between treatments and the egg bat ches were randomly distributed on and among plants in most of the plot s for all three treatments. There was a tendency for higher egg parasi tism in the intercrop. The proportion of eggs parasitized was signific antly correlated with total number of eggs per plot suggesting a posit ive density dependent response. It is concluded that intercropping doe s not affect C. partellus nor C. orichalcociliellus oviposition behavi our but egg parasitism is likely to be augmented.