Abstract
The life-history traits of the most important storage pest of cowpea seeds Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius) were examined on the basis of oviposition preference and adult emergence on three cowpea varieties Baye Ngagne, Mame Fama and Ndiaga Aw. Fecundity and emergence rate were assessed by using both free choice and no-choice scenarios.Our results showed that, when females were in no-choice scenarios, they did not demonstrate any preferences for oviposition. In contrast, in choice scenarios, there was significant difference for oviposition between the three varieties: Mame Fama was the most preferred (fecundity rate = 30.50), while Ndiaga Aw was the least preferred (fecundity rate = 19.85). Further, in both no-choice and choice scenarios, adult emergences were significantly different between the three varieties, the emergence rates were higher on Baye Ngagne and Mame Fama varieties, than on Ndiaga Aw variety. Even though in an indirect way, our results provide a chemical and biological explanation to the observed farmer preference for the Ndiaga Aw variety. This study is also an important contribution to the construction of knowledge necessary to better understand the life-history traits of this pest and hopefully help its control.
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