TY  - JOUR
T1  - Occurrence and Seasonal Variation of Heteroligus Meles Billb (Coleoptera: Dynastidae) in Upper Niger Delta, Nigeria
AU - Tobih, F.O. 
JO  - Agricultural Journal
VL  - 6
IS  - 3
SP  - 106
EP  - 109
PY  - 2011
DA  - 2001/08/19
SN  - 1816-9155
DO  - aj.2011.106.109
UR  - https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=aj.2011.106.109
KW  - Occurrence
KW  -yam beetle
KW  -population
KW  -variation
KW  -elements
KW  -Niger Delta
AB  - Studies conducted in 2004/2005 in the rainforest ecological zone of Anwai-Asaba in the Upper Niger Delta, Nigeria, examined the occurrence and seasonal variation in the population of yam tuber beetles (<I>Heteroligus </I>sp.). The beetle population started building up in May with the peak occurrence as determined by the light traps occurring in July to August. The population trend is climate dependent and the peak was unimodal. Correlation analysis was negative for temperature (b = -0.662) while it was positively correlated with rainfall (b = 0.552) and relative humidity (b = 0.543). Based on the coefficient of determination (R<SUP>2</SUP>), beetle occurrence can be predicted on weather elements studied to about 52% for rainfall 29% relative humidity and 44% for temperature. The best predictive tools for monitoring the commencement of occurrence of the yam beetle are the three major weather parameters, namely temperature, relative humidity, rainfall but the later was more critical according to this study.
ER  -