Relative abundance of chrysomeles and damage on squash (Cucurbita moschata Duchesne) and pistachio (Cucumeropsis mannii Molina Standl.) in Korhogo commune northern Côte d’Ivoire

Squash and pistachio are very popular in the diet of people in Côte d’Ivoire. However, their production is faced with the pressure of insect pests including the chrysomeles. These African cucurbites are prone to attacks by beetles, the main pests that can lead to yield losses of 40 to 70%. Despite this importance, there is very little published data on this pest in Côte d’Ivoire. In order to reinforce the information on these pests for better management, the abundance and the damage of the beetles on these plants were evaluated in the vegetable garden of the Peleforo Gon Coulibaly University of Korhogo. This study consisted of enumerating the chrysomeles and evaluating their rates of attack on the different organs of the plants. In total, three species of beetle were identified on both squash and pistachio. This is Lamprocopa occidentalis (88.32%), Asbecesta cyanipennis (7.94%) and Aulacophora africana (3.74%). This study claims that L. occidentalis is the main pest of squash and pistachios in northern Côte d’Ivoire. The most favorable phenological stage for sprouting chrysomeles is flowering.