Occurrence and Identities of Insect Pests of Vegetables in Ikorodu, Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

This survey was aimed at determining the occurrence as well as identifying the insect pests of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), amaranths (Amaranthus spp.), lettuce (Lactuca sativa), green onions (Allium cepa), and cabbage (Brassica oleracae) grown during the rainy season in Ikorodu, Lagos, Nigeria, for effective control and management. After giving informed consent, structured questionnaires were used to collect demographic data from the participants, including age, sex, education level, and pest control strategy. Two vegetable arable farms were then selected, of which one was in Igbogbo town, close to Ikorodu metropolis (labeled A) and the second was in Bayeku town, which is far from Ikorodu metropolis (labeled B). After visual counting of pests on the vegetables early in the morning and late in the evening, they were captured with swoop nets, aspirators, and forceps, and then transferred to the laboratory in specimen tubes and rearing jars in triplicates, where they were identified using hand lenses and identification keys. The results show that the vegetable farmers were middle-aged men with at least a secondary school education, and chemical application was the most widely used pest control measure in the area. Farm A had 127 pests, with Solanum lycopersicum accounting for 57 (44.88%), followed by Amaranthus spp. (23, representing 18.11%), Brassica oleracae (19, representing 14.97%), Lactuca sativa (18, representing 14.17%), and Allium cepa (10, representing 7.87%). Farm B had 101 pests, of which Solanum lycopersicum accounted for 44 (43.56%), followed by Amaranthus spp. with 22 (21.78%), Lactuca sativa and Brassica oleracae each had 13 (12.87%), and Allium cepa had 9 (8.92%). Aphids were the most predominant pests with 69 members, followed by hornworms with 32, thrips and pumpkin bees each had 27, cutworms had 26, and white flies had 24, respectively. Overall, the results showed that there is a heavy pest infestation of vegetables in Ikorodu. Farmers need to be educated on pest control and management.