Host tree-based scenario modelling for predicting a key edible insect, mopane worm Gonimbrasia belina (Westwood, 1894) distribution in Southern Africa

Simple item page
cg.authorship.typesCGIAR multi-centreen
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecologyen
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Potato Centeren
cg.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Witwatersranden
cg.contributor.affiliationRhodes Universityen
cg.coverage.regionSouthern Africa
cg.creator.identifierQuinto J. Meltus: 0009-0008-8712-0465en
cg.creator.identifierBester Tawona Mudereri: 0000-0001-9407-7890en
cg.creator.identifierReyard Mutamiswa: 0000-0003-3978-8643en
cg.creator.identifierElfatih Mohamed Abdel-Rahman: 0000-0002-5694-0291en
cg.creator.identifierjephias matunhu: 0000-0001-8415-5867en
cg.creator.identifierRobert Musundire: 0000-0002-6269-6387en
cg.creator.identifiersaliou Niassy: 0000-0003-1061-4041en
cg.creator.identifierHenri TONNANG: 0000-0002-9424-9186en
cg.howPublishedFormally Publisheden
cg.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1163/23524588-00001055en
cg.isijournalISI Journalen
cg.issn2352-4588en
cg.issue9en
cg.journalJournal of Insects as Food and Feeden
cg.reviewStatusPeer Reviewen
cg.subject.actionAreaResilient Agrifood Systems
cg.subject.cipCLIMATE CHANGEen
cg.subject.cipGENETIC RESOURCESen
cg.subject.cipCROP AND SEED SYSTEMS SCIENCES (CSS)en
cg.subject.cipFOOD SECURITYen
cg.subject.cipBIODIVERSITY FOR THE FUTUREen
cg.subject.impactAreaEnvironmental health and biodiversity
cg.subject.sdgSDG 15 - Life on Landen
cg.subject.sdgSDG 13 - Climate actionen
cg.subject.sdgSDG 14 - Life below wateren
cg.volume10en
dc.contributor.authorMeltus, Q.en
dc.contributor.authorMudereri, B.T.en
dc.contributor.authorMutamiswa, R.en
dc.contributor.authorAbdel-Rahman, E.M.en
dc.contributor.authorMatunhu, J.en
dc.contributor.authorMusundire, R.en
dc.contributor.authorNiassy, S.en
dc.contributor.authorTonnang, H.en
dc.date.accessioned2024-09-19T16:53:01Zen
dc.date.available2024-09-19T16:53:01Zen
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/152304
dc.titleHost tree-based scenario modelling for predicting a key edible insect, mopane worm Gonimbrasia belina (Westwood, 1894) distribution in Southern Africaen
dcterms.abstractGonimbrasia belina, known as the mopane worm, is a large edible caterpillar in tropical and subtropical regions. However, little is known about the bioecology of this species as influenced by its host trees. This study evaluated the importance of different potential host trees in understanding mopane worms’ behaviour and spatial distribution. To assess their relative importance, the study compared models incorporating various mopane worm host trees and predictor variables. Using the species distribution modelling (SDM) package in R, an ensemble of random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and boosted regression tree (BRT) algorithms were used to assess the spatial extent of mopane worm distribution in Southern Africa. Four host tree-based scenarios were developed to assess their contribution to the relative distribution of the mopane worm i.e. (1) by excluding all the potential host trees as explanatory variables and considering only the environmental variables, (2) focusing on the primary host tree, Colophospermum mopane as an explanatory variable together with the other environmental variables, (3) incorporating all the host trees, including C. mopane and (4) examining all other host trees excluding C. mopane. Results demonstrated that incorporating all host trees enhanced the models’ predictive abilities (mean AUC = 0.87) underscoring the significant impact of the alternative host trees on the mopane worm distribution patterns beyond just the C. mopane. This study highlights the significance of host trees in predicting the behaviour and distribution of mopane worm populations, providing valuable insights and decision-making for mopane worm use as an alternative protein source, conservation efforts, and land management practices.en
dcterms.accessRightsLimited Access
dcterms.audienceAcademicsen
dcterms.audienceCGIARen
dcterms.audienceDevelopment Practitionersen
dcterms.audienceDonorsen
dcterms.audienceExtensionen
dcterms.audienceFarmersen
dcterms.audienceGeneral Publicen
dcterms.audienceNGOsen
dcterms.audiencePolicy Makersen
dcterms.audienceScientistsen
dcterms.bibliographicCitationMeltus, Q.; Mudereri, B.; Mutamiswa, R.; Abdel-Rahman, E.; Matunhu, J.; Musundire, R.; Niassy, S.; Tonnang, H. 2024. Host tree-based scenario modelling for predicting a key edible insect, mopane worm Gonimbrasia belina (Westwood, 1894) distribution in Southern Africa. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed. ISSN 2352-4588. 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1163/23524588-00001055en
dcterms.extent20 p.en
dcterms.issued2024-09-15en
dcterms.languageen
dcterms.licenseCopyrighted; all rights reserved
dcterms.publisherBrillen
dcterms.subjectinsects as fooden
dcterms.subjectclimate changeen
dcterms.subjectbiodiversityen
dcterms.subjectfood systemsen
dcterms.typeJournal Article

Files

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.75 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

CIP Journal Articles
CIP Science Goal: Biodiversity