Senior Lecturer - University of the Free State 2018-2021

Researcher (Entomologist) - ARC-PPRI , 2015-2018 

PhD (Entomology) - University of the Witwatersrand, International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE)

M. Sc. (Entomology) cum laude - Stellenbosch University, 2010

B. Sc. Agric. Hons. (Crop Science) - University of Zimbabwe, 2004

Full list: https://scholar.google.co.za/citations?user=C82jb7EAAAAJ&hl=en

•  Mbande, A., Mutamiswa, R., Chidawanyika, F. (2023) Ontogenic responses of physiological fitness in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in response to repeated cold exposure. Bulletin of Entomological Research, 1-7. doi:10.1017/S0007485323000111. 
•  Nqayi, S., Zachariades, C., Coetzee, J.A., Hill, M.P., Chidawanyika, F., Uyi, O. and McConnachie, A.J. (2023) Do thermal requirements of Dichrorampha odorata, a shoot-boring moth for the biological control of Chromolaena odorata, explain its failure to establish in South Africa? African Entomology 31: e13597.

• Chikowore, G., Martin, G.D., Chidawanyika, F., et al.,. (2023) Weed biological control in Zimbabwe: Challenges and future prospects.  South African Journal of Botany 154: 336-345.

• Chidawanyika, F., Muriithi, B., Niassy, S. et al. (2023) Sustainable intensification of vegetable production using the cereal ‘push-pull technology’: benefits and one health implications. Environmental Sustainability,  https://doi.org/10.1007/s42398-023-00260-1.

• Mutamiswa, R., Tarusikirwa, V.L., Nyamukondiwa, C., Cuthbert, R.N. & Chidawanyika, F. (2023) Thermal stress exposure of pupal oriental fruit fly has strong and trait-specific consequences in adult flies Physiological Entomology 48: 35-44.

• Mulaudzi, L., Mutamiswa, R., Zachariades, C. & Chidawanyika, F. (2022) Life-stage-related desiccation and starvation resistance in the biological control agent Neolema abbreviata. Entomologia Experimentalis et Appplicata 170: 1055-1065.

•   Ratto, F., Bruce, T.J.A., Chipabika, G., Mwamakamba, S., Mkandawire, R., Khan, Z. R., Mkindi, A., Pittchar, J., Chidawanyika, F., Sallu, S.M. and Whitfield, S., (2022). Biological control interventions and botanical pesticides for insect pests of crops in sub-Saharan Africa: A mapping review. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 6.

•  Mutamiswa, R., Chikowore, G., Nyamukondiwa, C., Mudereri, B. T., Khan, Z. R., & Chidawanyika, F. (2022). Biogeography of cereal stemborers and their natural enemies: forecasting pest management efficacy under changing climate. Pest Management Science 78: 4446-4457.

• Lang, J., Chidawanyika, F., Khan, Z. & Schuman, M.C. (2022) Ecological chemistry of pest control in push-pull intercropping systems: what we know, and where to go? Chimia 76: 1-8.

•  Sobhy, I.S., Tamiru, A., Chiriboga M.X., Nyagol D., Cheruiyot D., Chidawanyika F., Subramanian S., Midega C.A., Bruce, T.J.A., Khan, Z.R. 2022. Bioactive volatiles from Push-Pull companion crops repel fall armyworm and attract its parasitoids. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 10. DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.883020 .

•  Chikowore G, Chidawanyika F, Martin GD (2022) Contributions of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) to livelihoods of peri-urban dwellers in the Free State Province of South Africa. GeoJournal 87: 4565-4578.

• Nyamukondiwa, C.,  Machekano, H., Chidawanyika, F., Mutamiswa, M.,  Ma, G.,  Ma, CS. 2022. Geographic dispersion of invasive crop pests: the role of basal, plastic climate stress tolerance and other complementary traits in the tropics. Current Opinion in Insect Science  50: 100878.

• Cheruiyot, D, Chidawanyika, F., Midega, C.A.O., Pittchar, J.O., Pickett, J.A., Khan, Z.R. 2022. Field evaluation of a new third generation push-pull technology for control of striga weed,stemborers,and fall armyworm in western Kenya. Experimental Agriculture 57: 301-315.

•  Strathie, L.W., Cowie, B.W. , McConnachie, A.J., Chidawanyika, F., Musedeli, J.N., Sambo, S.M.C. Magoso, E.X. and Gareeb M. 2021.  A Decade of Biological Control of Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae) in South Africa Reviewed: Introduction of Insect Agents and Their Status. African Entomology 29: 809-836.  

• Byrne, M.J., Mayonde, S., Venter, N., Chidawanyika, F., Zachariades, C., and Martin G.D. (2021) Three new niological control programmes for South Africa: Brazilian Pepper, Tamarix and Tradescantia.  African Entomology 29(3), 965-982.

•  Chikowore G, Steenhuisen S, Mutamiswa R, Martin GD, Chidawanyika F,(2021) Integration of invasive tree, black locust, into agroecological flower visitor networks induces competition for pollination services. Arthropod Plant Interactions 15: 787-796.

• Cheruiyot D, Chiriboga X, Chidawanyika F, Bruce TJA, Khan ZR (2021) Potential roles of selected forage grasses in management of fall armyworm ( Spodoptera frugiperda ) through companion cropping. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 169: 966-974.
  

•  Chikowore G, Mutamiswa R, Sutton GF, Chidawanyika F, Martin GD (2021) Reduction of grazing index in high elevation grasslands following Black locust invasion in South Africa. Rangeland Ecology and Management 76: 109-117.

• Chikowore G, Martin GD, Chidawanyika F (2021) An assessment of the invasive alien tree, Robinia pseudoacacia canopy traits and its effect on grassland microclimates and subsequent arthropod assemblages. Journal of Insect Conservation 25: 429–439.

• Mutamiswa, R., Machekano, H., Singano, C., Joseph, V., Chidawanyika, F., Nyamukondiwa, C., (2021).  Desiccation and temperature resistance of the larger grain borer, Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae): pedestals for invasion success? Physiological Entomology 46: 157-166.

•  Mutamiswa, R., Nyamukondiwa, C., Chikowore., Chidawanyika, F(2021). Overview of oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Africa: From invasion, bio-ecology to sustainable management. Crop Protection 141: 105492.

• Tarusikirwa, V., Mutamiswa, R., Machekano, H. Chidawanyika, F., Nyamukondiwa, C. (2020). Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) on the “Offensive” in Africa: Prospects for Integrated Management Initiatives. Insects 11, 764; doi:10.3390/insects11110764

• Mutamiswa, R. Tarusikirwa, V., Nyamukondiwa, C., Chidawanyika, F. (2020) Fluctuating environments impact thermal tolerance in an invasive insect species Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae). Journal of Applied Entomology 144: 885-896.

• Chidawanyika, F., Chikowore, G., Mutamiswa, R. (2020) Thermal tolerance of the biological control agent Neolema abbreviata and its potential geographic distribution together with its host Tradescantia fluminensis in South Africa.Biological Control 149: 104315.

•  Tarusikirwa, V., Mutamiswa, R., English, S., Chidawanyika, F., Nyamukondiwa, C. (2020). Thermal plasticity in the invasive south American tomato pinworm Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). Journal of Thermal Biology 90: 102598.

•  Mutamiswa, R., Machekano, H.,  Nyamukondiwa, C., Chidawanyika, F. (2020). Host plant-related responses on the thermal fitness of Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Arthropod-Plant Interactions 14:463–471.

• Machekano, H.,  Mutamiswa, R., Singano, C. Joseph, V., Chidawanyika, F., Nyamukondiwa, C. (2020).Thermal resilience of Prostephanus truncatus (Horn): Can we derive optimum temperature-time combinations for commodity treatment?  Journal of Stored Products Research 86: 101568.

• Mbande, A., Tedder, M., Chidawanyika, F. (2020). Offspring diet supersedes the transgenerational effects of parental diet in a specialist herbivore Neolema abbreviata under manipulated foliar nitrogen variability. Insect Science 27: 361-374
   
•  Chidawanyika, F., Mudavanhu, P., Nyamukondiwa, C. (2019) Global climate change as a driver of bottom-up and top-down factors in agricultural landscapes and the fate of host-parasitoid interactions. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution  7: 80  doi: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00080

• Mutamiswa, R., Machekano, H., Chidawanyika, F., Nyamukondiwa, C. (2019) Life-stage related responses to combined effects of acclimation temperature and humidity on the thermal tolerance of Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Journal of Thermal Biology 79: 85-94.

• Mbande, A., Tedder, M., Chidawanyika, F. (2019). Differential life-history responses in Neolema abbreviata, a biological control agent for Tradescantia fluminensis, under water and nitrogen gradients. Arthropod-Plant Interactions  13: 57-70.

• Nyamukondiwa, C., Chidawanyika, F., Machekano, H.,  Mutamiswa, R., Sands, B., Mgidiswa, N., Wall, R. (2018) Climate variability differentially impact thermal fitness traits in three coprophagic beetle species. PLoS ONE 13(6):e0198610.

• Mutamiswa, R., Chidawanyika, F., Nyamukondiwa, C. (2018). Superior basal and plastic thermal responses to environmental heterogeneity in invasive exotic stemborer Chilo partellus Swinhoe over indigenous Busseola fusca (Fuller) and Sesamia calamistis Hampson: Thermal sensitivity aid C. partellus invasiveness. Physiological Entomology 43: 108-119.

• Mutamiswa, R., Chidawanyika, F., Nyamukondiwa, C. (2018). Thermal plasticity potentially mediates the interaction between host Chilo partellus Swinhoe (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and endoparasitoid Cotesia flavipes Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) under rapidly changing environments. Pest Management Science 74: 1335-1345.

• Mutamiswa, R., Machekano, H., Chidawanyika, F., Nyamukondiwa, C. (2017). Thermal resilience may shape population abundance of two sympatric congeneric Cotesia species (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). PLoS ONE 13(2):e0191840.

• Mutamiswa, R., Chidawanyika, F., Nyamukondiwa, C. (2017). Comparative assessment of the thermal tolerance of spotted stemborer, Chilo partellus Swinhoe (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and its larval parasitoid, Cotesia sesamiae Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Insect Science Journal 25: 847-860.

• Chidawanyika, F. (2017). Brazilian spiderwort: a silent but potent invader. Veld and Flora 103 (1): 28-30.

• Mutamiswa, R., Chidawanyika, F., Nyamukondiwa, C. (2017). Dominance of spotted stemborer, Chilo partellus Swinhoe (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) over indigenous stemborer species in Africa’s changing climates: ecological and thermal biology perspectives. Agricultural and Forest Entomology 19: 344-356. 

• Chidawanyika, F., Nyamukondiwa, C., Strathie L, Fischer, K. (2017). Effects of thermal regimes, starvation and age on heat tolerance of the Parthenium beetle Zygogramma bicolorata following dynamic and static protocols. PLoS ONE 12(1) e016937

• Chidawanyika F. Midega C.A.O, Bruce T.J.A, Pickett J. Duncan F. , Khan Z.R. (2014). Oviposition acceptance and larval development of Chilo partellus stemborers in drought-stressed wild and cultivated grasses of East Africa.  Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, 151: 209-217.

• Chidawanyika, F., Mudavanhu, P., Nyamukondiwa, C. (2012). Biologically based methods for pest management in agriculture under changing climates: challenges and future directions. Insects 3: 1171-1189.

• Chidawanyika, F. , Terblanche, J. (2011). Costs and benefits of thermal acclimation for sterile insect release programmes in codling moth, Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae): implications for pest control and the sterile insect release programme. Evolutionary Applications   4:  534–544.

• Chidawanyika, F.,  Terblanche, J. (2011). Rapid thermal responses and thermal tolerance in adult codling moth Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Journal of Insect Physiology 57 (1): 108-117.

I am the principal investigator of the Global Change Biology Research Group. Typical research in our group falls under two broad themes of 1) insect physiology and ii) plant invasions and phytophagy. For physiology, we use various insect taxa, usually of economic importance, to elucidate how environmental stressors influence their physiology, behaviour and population dynamics. We do this by employing a range of techniques in order to have an understanding of the potential impacts of climate change on, for example, the survival and distribution of insect pests and their natural enemies. In the phytophagy theme, we focus on the ecology and evolution of plant-insect antagonistic relationships and how this can manipulated to curb alien plant invasions. 

Keywords: biological control, biological invasions, evolutionary biology, insect herbivory, nutritional ecology, plant defence, thermal tolerance, phenotypic plasticity

ENTO2626 – Introduction to Insect Physiology (Sole Lecturer). 

ENTO6834 – Insect Chemical Ecology- capita selecta (Sole Lecturer).

ENTO/ZLGY 6852- Quantitative Ecology (Partial)

• Serve(d) as a reviewer for various journals including Journal of Thermal Biology, Journal of Insect Science and BMC Agriculture and Food Security