Inventory, Geographical Distribution of <i>Caryedon</i> Species in Burkina Faso, and Evaluation of Their Impact on Stored Groundnut

To understand the mechanism of infestation of stored groundnut in farming areas, studies on the inventory and geographical distribution of Caryedon species were carried out in the tree savannah and in producers’ storage structures. The incidence of C. serratus in stored groundnut was evaluated. Inventory and geographical distribution of insects belonging to Caryedon genus was achieved through a sampling in the savannah and producers’ granaries. The inventory and geographical distribution of insects was made throughout Burkina Faso whereas the evaluation of the perforations of groundnut pods was made in the western zone of the country. The results of the inventory showed the presence of two species belonging to Caryedon genus which are C. serratus and C. crampelii. These species are found on the agro-ecological zones of the country. The survival and maintenance of Caryedon species genus are ensured by the presence of plants belonging to various families such as Caesalpiniceae and Mimosaceae. The evaluation of the losses caused by C. serratus in producer’s stored groundnut revealed that the pods perforation rate varied according to the locality. In Toussiana, the rate of perforated pods ranged from 53.72% to 100% in five months while in Karangasso Sembla, for the same conservation time, the rate was in the range from 2.8% to 35%. However it is C. serratus which is responsible for the losses observed in the stored groundnut. Indeed, in the western area of Burkina Faso where more than 25% of the production is realized, 70% of groundnut stocked without treatment is destroyed by this insect after only four months of storage.