During prolonged flight, locusts predominantly utilize lipids for energy generation. Lipid stores are mainly located in the fat body. Flight is accompanied by release of adipokinetic hormones from the corpora cardiaca. Under the influence of these hormones, fat body triacylglycerol is converted to diacylglycerol, which is released into the haemolymph. This release requires the presence of specific lipoproteins. The lipid mobilizing effect of adipokinetic hormone on the fat body is attended by the association of a high density lipophorin and a non-lipid containing protein, both already present in the haemolymph, and the increased amount of released lipid to form a new lipoprotein, low density lipophorin. Upon delivery of the lipid to the flight muscles, participating proteins dissociate again and can be reused for lipid uptake at the fat body (lipoprotein shuttle system). The flight-specific metabolic systems could be starting-points for new devices in control strategies.

This review concentrates on air-borne chemical cues that blood-seeking mosquitoes use to locate a host. A distinction is made between short- and long-range attraction. Carbon dioxide is involved in both processes. It activates and attracts mosquitoes. The latter function is only observed in combination with an odorous organo-chemical. Other olfactory cues are primarily involved in long-range attraction. Bodily emanations from the host that contain olfactory cues can be divided into three groups: Skin emanations, exhaled air and urine. Each of these is attractive to mosquitoes, but there is little knowledge about the chemical compounds that cause the attraction. Lactic acid in the presence of CO2 is attractive, and lactic acid-sensitive neurosensilla are present on the antennae. Other host-produced chemicals are also attractive, but chemical identification and subsequent confirmation of attractiveness for mosquitoes has not been reported. Host preference in mosquitoes is species-specific and varies from highly specific to opportunistic. Attraction is likely to be caused by a mixture of several compounds. Synergism may be an important way of increasing the effect of separate chemical cues.

Termites are important agricultural pests in the semi-arid tropics. Conventional methods of control have relied on persistent organochloride insecticides with accompanying health and environmental problems. In contrast, cultural control methods provide untested, but environmentally sound options to farmers. This study reports results from three experiments on the use of mulches to reduce Microtermes obesi and Odontotermes spp. damage with relevance to groundnut production in India.

Termites scarification of groundnut was 80–90% lower for pods dried in neem cake or Ipomoea fistulosa mulches than for pods dried directly on the soil. Similarly, subterranean attack by termites on bamboo baits was 20–40% lower in mulched plots than in controls. However, mulches were ineffective in protecting bullock manure from removal by termites.

Successful use of mulches in termite control may be related to food source concentration. Termite location of concentrated food sources, such as bullock manure, was followed by recruitment of workers and construction of protected runways. In contrast, termites foraging on limited food sources, such as groundnut pods, did not construct runways and had greater exposure to mulches.

The CILSS (French acronym for “Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel”) regional crop protection training centre in Niger provides a 2-year training programme in crop protection for middle-level field technicians as one of its major activities. The training is open to candidates from all the nine CILSS member countries. It deals with all aspects of plant protection. The success of this training programme depends to a great extent, on a well-formulated and objective-oriented programme catered to the backgrounds and needs of the trainees. As insect pests are an important limiting factor in agricultural production in the Sahel, the entomology subjects constitute an important part of the programme. This paper describes the contents of the entomology programme and strategies and constraints in its delivery. The future role of applied research in supporting and strengthening this programme is also outlined.

In his opening address, Professor Odhiambo referred to the militaristic approach to pest control in which we aim to first know our pest enemies and then destroy them. I would like to take that military analogy further. We certainly need to have good information about our pest enemies, in order to know the weak points that are vulnerable to attack, but we also need good strategies and we need to know our allies in the fight, especially the natural enemies of pest species that operate as a generally unseen resistance force, and our professional allies—the entomologists and other scientists that provide our intelligence reports.