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Predispersal seed predation on three Vachellia species and one Senegalia species (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) in the Rift Valley of Ethiopia and Menagesha forest, Ethiopia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2016

Abraham Yirgu
Abraham Yirgu*
Affiliation:
Central Ethiopia Environment and Forestry Research Centre, PO Box 30708, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
*
*Email: abrahamyirguw@gmail.com
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Abstract

This study on predispersal seed predation of the leguminous species Vachellia abyssinica (Hochst. Ex. Benth.) Kyal & Boatwr., Senegalia senegal (L.) Britton, Vachellia seyal (Del.) P.J.H. Hurter, and Vachellia tortilis (Forssk.) Galasso & Banfi was conducted around Lake Langano and Menagesha Forest in Ethiopia to identify the associated seed predators and determine their impact on seed germination. Eight seed beetles Bruchidius albosparsus (Fåhraeus, 1839), B. aurivillii (Blanc, 1889), B. djemensis Decelle 1971, B. discoidalis (Fåhraeus, 1839), B. sinaitus (K. Daniel, 1907), B. silaceus (Fåhraeus, 1839), B. sp 411, B. simulans (Anton and Delobel, 2003), and one unidentified species of Cerambycidae were found associated with seeds of these Acacia species. These predators damaged less than 9% of seeds of these species, which exhibited lower germination. This study provides unrecorded lists of predispersal seed predators associated with seeds of Vachellia and Senegalia species in Ethiopia, and some associations are new. There is need to assess the distribution, abundance and effects of predispersal seed predators on other Vachellia, as well as other tree species.

Keywords

Acacia s.l.bruchinesCerambycidae speciesLake LanganoMenagesha forestEthiopia
Type
Research Paper
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 36 , Issue 2 , June 2016 , pp. 91 - 96
Copyright
Copyright © icipe 2016 

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