Identification of pests and assessment of their damage on Carapa procera and Lophira lanceolata in Burkina Faso, West Africa

Abstract

Nontimber forest products are a source of income for women in rural African communities. However, these products are frequently damaged by insect pests. The present study investigates the diversity and damage rates of insect pests that attack Carapa procera seeds and Lophira lanceolata fruits. The experiment was set up in western Burkina Faso and, for C. carapa, consisted of pests collected from seeds that had fallen to the ground and from stockpiled seeds. For L. lanceolata, pests were collected from fruits on the trees, and on the ground. The collected samples were sent to the laboratory to estimate the proportion of damaged seeds/fruits and rear the insects. The results showed that Ephestia spp., Tribolium castaneum, Oryzeaphilus spp., and Tenebroides mauritanicus were the pests of Carapa procera seeds and Lophira lanceolata fruits. Ephestia spp. was recorded as the main pest of both C. procera and L. lanceolata, whereas T. castaneum was only detected from seeds of L. lanceolata. For C. procera, the stocks were the most infested (29 %) by Ephestia spp. The infestation rate of fruits of L. lanceolata by Ephestia spp. on trees (31.42 ± 3.75 %) was less than the rate of fruits by T. castaneum on the ground (44.00 ± 3.5 %). The different body sizes of Ephestia spp. may indicate the occurrence of two putative species, one from C. procera and another one from L. lanceolata. This work provides important information that could contribute to the setting up of a local-scale sustainable management framework for oil tree pests in Burkina Faso and surrounding countries.