@article{fdi:010070952, title = {{D}isturbance of the rainforest has the potential to enhance egg parasitism of lepidopteran noctuid stemborers in {K}isangani, {DR} {C}ongo}, author = {{K}ankonda, {O}. {M}. and {A}kaibe, {B}. {D}. and {M}usyoka, {B}. and {B}ruce, {Y}. {A}. and {L}e {R}ΓΌ, {B}runo}, editor = {}, language = {{ENG}}, abstract = {{L}andscape context influences population dynamics of insects and impacts biological processes within communities. {I}t was expected that anthropogenic disturbances of the rainforest landscape in {DR} {C}ongo would lead to a decreased level of noctuid stemborer egg parasitism as a consequence of a decoupling between stemborers and their naturally occurring parasitoids through dispersal. {T}o test this hypothesis, noctuid egg batches were collected in maize fields along an anthropogenic disturbance gradient to assess change in the rates of eggs parasitism and maize plant infestation with noctuid egg batches. {O}ur results showed that, in contrast to what was initially expected, egg parasitism increased from less to highly disturbed landscape whereas maize infestation had an inverse tendency. {D}iscovery efficiency and mean egg parasitism were 1.416 and 1.392 times higher, respectively, in the most than in the less disturbed landscape. {T}he numbers of eggs and egg batches per 100 maize plants were 0.55 times and 0.532 times the value in the less disturbed landscape, suggesting a dilution of the stemborer population within a large habitat patch encompassing cultivated fields and the surrounding wild host plants. {I}t was concluded that the presence of suitable host plants enhances noctuid stemborers egg parasitism in adjacent maize fields.}, keywords = {biological control ; dispersal ; egg parasitism ; {K}isangani ; noctuid ; stemborers ; rainforest ; {CONGO}}, booktitle = {}, journal = {{A}frican {J}ournal of {E}cology}, volume = {55}, numero = {3}, pages = {328--341}, ISSN = {0141-6707}, year = {2017}, DOI = {10.1111/aje.12357}, URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010070952}, }