Insect threatens crops in Mauritania

The pink stemborer (Sesamia calamistis), a gnawing insect that attacks cereals, is currently responsible for the loss of 10,000 t of sorghum per year in the country. The stemborer is also a vector of a pathogen that destroys the stalks and panicles of the plant. The insect also attacks sugarcane, millet, maize, and rice, the staple food of Mauritanians. One of the pest management strategies in eastern Africa that seems to work is the introduction of a natural enemy of the stemborer. In the early 1990s, a parasitic wasp (Cotesia flavipes) was imported to Kenya and proved effective against various stemborers including Sesamia calamistis.The pink stemborer (Sesamia calamistis), a gnawing insect that attacks cereals, is currently responsible for the loss of 10,000 t of sorghum per year in the country. The stemborer is also a vector of a pathogen that destroys the stalks and panicles..