Insect pests occurring on Dacryodes edulis (Burseraceae) in rural areas in Gabon

The inventory of pests occurring on Dacryodes edulis (Burseraceae) was
carried out in rural areas in Gabon during 2009 and 2010. Yellow traps and
visual observations were used to record weekly pests during the tree
flowering stage, in five villages. Catches from yellow traps rose to 7,296
and 1,722 insect pests in 2009 and 2010, respectively, whereas records
from visual observations corresponded to 1,812 and 171 insect pests in
2009 and 2010, respectively. During both years, abundance from traps
and visual monitoring was significantly different between sampling sites
(p<0.05). The difference in pests’ diversity between sampling sites was
not significant (p>0.05) according to traps, but significant (p≤0.04) according
to visual observations in 2010. Mecocorynus loripes Chevrolat
(Coleoptera: Cucurlionidae) attacked the stem of D. edulis, while
Oligotrophus sp. (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), Pseudophacopteron serrifer
Malenovsky and Burckhardt (Hemiptera: Phacopteronidae), and
Selenothrips rubrocinctus Giard (Thysanopera: Thripidae) attacked leaves.
Pseudonoorda edulis Maes and Poligui (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and
Lobesia aeolopa Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) infested fruits and
inflorescences, respectively. These insects are specifically linked to plant
patterns, and their identification provided the first basic information for
developing suitable strategies to control pests of D. edulis in Gabon, as
well as in neighboring central African countries.