TITLE:
Predation Capability of Black Kite (Milvus migrans parasitus) on Locust as a Biological Control Option in Madagascar
AUTHORS:
Mahitandrainy Jules Andriatsirevombola, Jiwen Ge, Raholijaona
KEYWORDS:
Integrated Pest Management, Milvus migrans parasitus, Locust, Madagascar, Avian Insectivory
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Ecology,
Vol.6 No.5,
April
27,
2016
ABSTRACT: In
Madagascar, the South and Southwest regions have for decades had locust
outbreaks that have devastated crop fields. The locust species dominant in this
area are the red locust (Nomadacris
septemfasciata) and the Migratory Locust (Locusta migratoria capito). This paper aimed at determining the
predation values from the Black Kite (Milvus
migrans parasitus), a natural enemy for locusts, as a biological measure
for locust outbreak control. Two types of experiments were done that included
observed predation and experimental predation. It was observed, in the observed
predation, that a higher number of locusts were found in the bird’s stomach
during the afternoon session (mean = 66) than during the morning session (mean
= 21). The high peak observed during the afternoon session was also associated
with the feeding of larvae of the migratory locust. The experimental predation
results showed that almost 100 percent of the larval and 97 percent of the
fledglings were fed on. The experimental predation results also showed that
there was no preference for larvae or fledglings in the cage and that the bird
fed on the different combinations equally. This study showed that the Black
Kite birds can effectively control locust population in an outbreak when they
are easy to predate on. However, there is a need to assess the population of
birds in locust infested areas to determine if the bird population is enough to
predate on a locust outbreak.