First report on occurrence of the larger grain borer Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) in Senegal

Abstract

In Africa the larger grain borer, Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera : Bostrichidae) (Fig. 1) is a serious pest of stored commodities mainly of stored maize, dried cassava roots and to a lesser extent yam chips. This bostrichid pest of meso-American origin was accidentally introduced into Africa some 30 years ago and started to spread over the continent from two geographically disparate points. The first recognized outbreaks of P. truncatus were reported in the late 1970s from East Africa, in the Tabora, Shinyanga and Mwanza regions of western Tanzania. Subsequently P. truncatus was found to be established in Togo, West Africa, in 1984 (Farrell & Schulten 2002). From there the pest gradually spread in the neighboring countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, reaching Guinea Conakry in 1988 and Guinea Bissau in 1998 (Aman et al. 2007).