Abstract
Abstract Experiments were conducted in Burkina Faso to determine the effect of feeding by Smicronyx spp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) larvae on the development of fruit capsule and seed production in Striga hermonthica (Scrophulariaceae). In treated plots Smicronyx adults were released in the cages while in untreated plots (= control) no Smicronyx were released. The Striga capsules were collected, fixed, and prepared for histological examination. Uninfested Striga capsules developed normally. In infested capsules, three types of galls were distinguished: they reflected the development of capsule and the seeds. There was a synchrony between seed development and larval development in the same capsule. In most instances, one egg or larva was found per gall. Smicronyx larvae completely destroyed Striga seeds in the developing capsule by two mechanisms: (1) by directly eating most of the seeds and (2) by eating the placenta that normally feed the seeds.
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