Inventory of the entomofauna associated with Tamarindus indica flowers and fruits and their damage in Hauts-Bassins’ region of Burkina Faso

Abstract

Insects are essential to the development of flowering plants, but they also cause huge damage to plants and their by-products. The tamarind tree, a plant with many virtues, is subject to attack by some insects. The aim of our study was to determine the abundance and diversity of insects associated with tamarind (Tamarindus indica) from flowering to maturity. Plastic bottles were used as traps to capture insects during the plant's flowering period in five localities in the Upper Basin region of Burkina Faso. Two traps per tree were set up and renewed twice (40 samples). Each trap contained a mixture of fruit juices (mango, orange and pineapple). For insects associated with T. indica fruits, forty samples were taken to obtain emergences 45 days later. Pods from each batch bearing at least one insect emergence hole were counted before and after 45 days. Insects were preserved in vials containing 70 °C alcohol. Identification was carried out using a LEICA EZ4HD binocular loupe. For flowering insects, the species richness was 23, divided into 5 orders. The Shannon diversity index was highest at Kiri (3.14). The theoretical value calculated (H' max = 4.52) is high. Piélou's equitability indices was low, varying from 0.48 to 0.69 depending on locality. For insects emerging from fruit, Caryedon serratus was present in every locality, while Sitophilus linearis and Luprops badius were only recorded in Dindérèsso and Farakoba. Shannon diversity index was zero in 3 localities, whereas it was 1.55 in Dindérèsso and 1.58 in Farakoba, and the theoretical value calculated (H' max = 1.58). The perforation rate showed a clear difference between Dindérèsso and Kiri 45 days later.