ARCHIVES
VOL. 10, ISSUE 10 (2025)
Assessment of population density of Prosoestus spp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), the main pests of female oil palm inflorescences in palm groves of La Mé
Authors
Assienin Hauverset N Guessan, Nklo Hala, Aurore Bel Martine Kablan Kan, Ekra Kouame Tano, Kouassi Allou
Abstract
Improvements in the oil palm sector through
government support have enabled Côte d'Ivoire to become the world's ninth
largest producer, with a national production of 2.7 million tons of fruit
bunches per year and 600,000 tons of crude palm oil per year, and occupy the
2nd place in Africa behind Nigeria. Despite this, oil palm cultivation is
exposed to numerous phytosanitary problems that negatively impact its
productivity. Among these constraints, there are Prosoestus spp.
(Coleoptera: Curculionidae), pests of female oil palm inflorescences whose
damage can lead to a decrease in the nouaison rate of more than 60% during
heavy infestations. The studies carried out at the National Center for
Agricultural Research, station in La Mé aimed to investigate the population
density of Prosoestus spp (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in palm groves of
La Mé. The inventory of female inflorescence pests revealed three main insects
causing damage to oil palm inflorescences: Prosoestus sculptilis and Prosoestus
minor of the Curculionidae beetles and Elaeidiphylos adustalis of
the Pyralidae lepidopterans. The population of P. sculptilis was also
higher on male inflorescences. However, the converse was observed on female
inflorescences, where population of P. minor was higher than that of P.
sculptilis. These pests are most active during the daytime, mainly at full
anthesis, with an abundance on male inflorescences. P. sculptilis was
the most frequently observed on both types of inflorescences. It is therefore
important to study the interaction between Prosoestus spp. and
pollinating insects.
Download
Pages:54-58
How to cite this article:
Assienin Hauverset N Guessan, Nklo Hala, Aurore Bel Martine Kablan Kan, Ekra Kouame Tano, Kouassi Allou "Assessment of population density of <i>Prosoestus</i> spp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), the main pests of female oil palm inflorescences in palm groves of La Mé". International Journal of Entomology Research, Vol 10, Issue 10, 2025, Pages 54-58
Download Author Certificate
Please enter the email address corresponding to this article submission to download your certificate.