Abstract
This paper reports on farmers’ knowledge, perceptions, and reactions towards the African apefly (Spalgis lemolea lemolea), which appeared to be associated with some vegetables in some locations in Tanzania. Information was obtained from a sample of 100 key respondents using a semi-structured questionnaire and from focus groups selected from key locations in five districts in the country with histories with the African apefly. Acute and sub-acute toxicity tests of the African apefly were performed on female Swiss hybrid mice (Mus musculus) to assess whether or not the African apefly was toxic to mammals. The mice were exposed to increasing apefly meal concentrations in acute and sub-acute tests, and signs of toxicity were observed for 14 and 28 days, respectively. Blood samples were collected by cardiac puncture for hematological and biochemical analysis. Gross and microscopic examinations of the internal organs were done. The survey results showed that 92.1% of the respondents perceived the African apefly as poisonous and had stopped consuming the vegetables associated with it. In the toxicity tests, however, no death or toxic signs were displayed, and there was no significant difference between the control and treated mice in weight, hematological parameters, and histo-pathological examination results. These findings strongly indicate that, despite the negative perception by farmers regarding the African apefly, it is not poisonous. However, further studies on how farmers can be trained to have a positive perception of the African apefly and how the insect can be conserved for further research regarding its role in Tanzania are recommended.
Highlights
Insects are a diverse and biologically successful group of animals on Earth [1,2]
Most respondents (68.5%) had knowledge of other insects that are associated with S. lemolea lemolea, describing them as “white waxy insects” and “sticky insects”, meaning mealybugs
The lack of knowledge and negative attitudes towards insects that farmers encounter in their farms can threaten the status of some beneficial insects
Summary
Insects are a diverse and biologically successful group of animals on Earth [1,2] They can broadly be categorized as insect pests and beneficial insects [3]. Natural biological control accounts for about 33% of pest control mechanisms in cultivated systems [2] Such insects can be manipulated as part of integrated pest management programs through the importation and establishment of exotic natural enemy species, direct manipulation of species, or manipulation of their environments [2,4]. People’s knowledge of insect species varies in quality and quantity depending on their interests in the subject, their environment, and the relevance of insects to their lives [5] While entomologists devote their professional lives to the study of insects, some non-entomologists perceive insects as potentially dangerous and have an unreasonable fear of them, i.e., entomophobia [6]
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