Short communication Newly recorded species of Chaetocnema, vector of rice yellow mottle virus in Tanzania

61O. O. BANWOR. H. MAKUNDIDepartment of Crop Science & ProductionSokoine University of AgricultureP. O. Box 3005, MorogoroTanzaniaemail: banwo@hotmail.comR. S. ABDALLAHTropical Pesticides Research InstituteP. O. Box 3024, ArushaTanzaniaJ. C. MBAPILAAgricultural & Research Training InstitutePMB, IfakaraTanzaniaAbstract Rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV) be-longs to the Sobemovirus group and causes the onlyknown virus disease of rice (Oryza sativa L.) pecu-liar to the African continent to date. It was first re-corded in Kenya in 1966 and was not reported inTanzania until in the 1980s. It has spread fast and isfound in almost all the rice growing areas. Clearly,it is the most important disease of rice in Tanzania.RYMV is transmitted mechanically and bychrysomelid beetles. Chaetocnema pulla Chapuis isthought to be an important vector of the disease inTanzania. Transmission studies conducted revealeda new species, Chaetocnema sp. nov. propevaricornis Jacoby, found in Tanzania as also a vec-tor of RYMV. This species has not been previouslyreported to occur and to vector RYMV in any of thecountries where the disease is prevalent. Furtherstudies on the roles of these vectors and the dynam-ics of virus spread are necessary to provide moreinformation on the epidemiology of this disease inTanzania.