Feeding Preferences of the Bean Leaf Beetle (Ootheca spp.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae): Insights for Targeted Pest Control Strategies in Uganda.

The bean leaf beetle (BLB) ( Ootheca spp.) is a polyphagous pest causing significant yield losses in Uganda, particularly in the Northern and Eastern regions on various hosts plants. Despite its polyphagous behaviour, the BLB exhibits preferential feeding, offering an opportunity for targeted pest management. This study explored its feeding preferences across seven crops: common bean, cowpea, greengram, okra, roselle ( malakwang ), groundnuts, and soybean. This study was conducted in Arua and Lira districts using a randomized complete block design for two rainy seasons (2018A and 2018B). The results showed significant differences in BLB abundance and foliar damage among host crops, locations, days after planting and seasons. Cowpea was the most preferred crop while groundnuts was the least preferred. Therefore, cowpea can be recommended for use as a trap for managing Ootheca spp. in gardens where it is not the main crop. There was a higher pest abundance in Arua than in Lira. There was also a higher pest abundance in 2018A than in 2018B. These findings highlight the importance of understanding BLB's feeding preferences for implementing effective IPM strategies, emphasizing the potential role of trap cropping, especially with cowpea, to minimize BLB damage in resource-constrained agricultural settings.