Local species-specific effect of trees and shrubs on the incidence of the millet head miner, Heliocheilus albipunctella (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)

Understanding the interactions between crop pests, natural enemies, and semi-natural habitats in agricultural landscapes is crucial for developing ecology-based pest management in agroecosystems. In the present study, we investigated the local-scale species-specific effect of tree and shrub cover on the incidence and natural pest regulation of the millet head miner (MHM), Heliocheilus albipunctella de Joannis, and subsequent grain losses, in a tree-crop agroforestry system in Senegal. To this purpose, we monitored a network of 60 millet fields with variable tree and shrub species composition within a 50 m radius buffer around the center of the millet fields.
Baobabs (Adansonia digitata) and apple-ring acacias (Faidherbia albida) increased pest incidence and associated grain loss, likely by providing favorable microhabitats for MHM or limiting habitats for natural enemies, respectively. In contrast, soapberry trees (Balanites aegyptiaca) and, to a lesser extent, bushwillow shrubs (Combre..., , # Local species-specific effect of trees and shrubs on the incidence of the millet head miner, Heliocheilus albipunctella (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.tqjq2bw9z](10.5061/dryad.tqjq2bw9z)

## Description of the data and file structure

These data were collected as part of a research project to assess the specific local effect of trees and shrubs on the incidence of the millet leafminer, Heliocheilus albipunctella (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), in Senegal.

Two years of data collection were carried out on a network of 60 millet plots, in order to assess crop colonization, the incidence of the pest and associated grain losses, but also the components of its natural regulation (parasitism of eggs, larvae and index of biocontrol services). We also characterized the tree and shrub species around the millet plots monitored.

### Files and variables

#### File: dataset.csv

**Description:** Database of two years of data collected on a network of 60 millet sampling plots in S...,