426971

Ecological Distribution Pattern, Population Abundance and Ethno-entomological Relevance of the Edible Giant Longhorn Beetle Larvae (Tithoes confinis) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) a

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Last updated: 11 May 2025

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Abstract

This study investigated the spatial distribution and abundance of Tithoes confinis (giant longhorn beetle) larvae across distinct habitat types in Eastern Tanzania, with a focus on the influence of vegetation cover, altitude, and human land-use activities. Field data were collected from three villages Mgodini, Maseyu, and Mazizi representing varying environmental and anthropogenic conditions. Within each village, five 10×10 m quadrants were randomly established using GPS-generated coordinates, yielding a total of 15 sampling plots. Larval counts were recorded from different tree sections (trunk, branch and root) in both wooded grassland and farmland habitats. Climatic variables such as rainfall, temperature, and humidity were monitored to assess seasonal effects on larval occurrence. Results showed that larval abundance was significantly higher in wooded grasslands (80.62%) than in farmlands (19.38%), highlighting a strong preference for less disturbed, tree-rich environments. Seasonal patterns indicated larval declines during rainfall extremes, particularly in December and April, suggesting climatic thresholds critical to larval survival. A three-way ANOVA revealed significant main effects of village (F (2, 37) = 14.26, p < 0.001) and sampling point (F (2, 37) = 4.54, p = 0.016), and a marginal effect of habitat (F (1, 37) = 4.04, p = 0.050). A significant interaction between village and habitat (F (4, 37) = 3.89, p = 0.027), along with a marginal three-way interaction (F (7, 37) = 2.09, p = 0.099), indicated complex spatial influences on larval abundance. These findings underscore the ecological sensitivity of T. confinis to environmental variation and land-use change, emphasizing the importance of conserving semi-natural habitats for saproxylic beetle biodiversity and forest ecosystem health.

DOI

10.21608/eajbsa.2025.426971

Keywords

Abundance, Climatic conditions, Distribution, farmland, giant longhorn beetle, Host plant, ecological knowledge, and woodland

Authors

First Name

Mpombeye

Last Name

Cleophace

MiddleName

P.

Affiliation

Department of Plant, Animal and Food Sciences, School of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, P.O Box 201-40601, Bondo, Kenya.

Email

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City

Kenya

Orcid

-

First Name

Dennis

Last Name

Otieno

MiddleName

O.

Affiliation

Department of Botany, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology. P.O Box 201-40601, Bondo, Kenya.

Email

dochuodho@jooust.ac.ke

City

Kenya

Orcid

-

First Name

Arnold

Last Name

Watako

MiddleName

O.

Affiliation

Department of Plant, Animal and Food Sciences, School of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, P.O Box 201-40601, Bondo, Kenya.

Email

arnoldwatako@yahoo.com

City

Kenya

Orcid

-

First Name

Nicolaus

Last Name

Mwakalinga

MiddleName

A.

Affiliation

Department of Parasitology and Entomology, Mwanza University P.O Box 3068-33224, Mwanza, Tanzania.

Email

nicolausmwakalinga6@gmail.com

City

Tanzania.

Orcid

-

Volume

18

Article Issue

2

Related Issue

54824

Issue Date

2025-06-01

Receive Date

2025-04-01

Publish Date

2025-05-14

Print ISSN

1687-8809

Online ISSN

2090-0813

Link

https://eajbsa.journals.ekb.eg/article_426971.html

Detail API

http://journals.ekb.eg?_action=service&article_code=426971

Order

426,971

Type

Original Article

Type Code

667

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences. A, Entomology

Publication Link

https://eajbsa.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Ecological Distribution Pattern, Population Abundance and Ethno-entomological Relevance of the Edible Giant Longhorn Beetle Larvae (Tithoes confinis) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) a

Details

Type

Article

Created At

11 May 2025