Abstract
The development of populations of two species of bruchids, B. atrolineatus and C. maculatus, in traditional stores containing cowpea pods was analysed in the Niamey area of Niger. At the beginning of the storage period, the first generation of B. atrolineatus adults is sexually active, mates and oviposits on the pods. Later, as the population increases dramatically, there is a correspondingly higher percentage of adults exhibiting reproductive diapause. Experiments showed that the diapausing insects leave stores during the dry season. This factor subsequently induces a regression of population growth inside the stores at the end of the dry season. There was no development of the C. maculatus population in the present experiment, because of the low level of infestation in the field before harvest and the fact that climatic conditions were probably unfavourable for this species in the Niamey area. In stores, the rate of B. atrolineatus population increase is very high in a limited number of generations resulting in significant losses of cowpea seeds.
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