Host plants of the mango mealybug rastrococcus invadens williams (homoptera: pseudococcidea) in western burkina faso

Rastrococcus invadens Williams is one of the main constraints of mango production in Western Burkina Faso. This insect pest has already caused serious damage to the mango industry since it invaded Africa in 1980’s. Its damages were as reported on other economically important fruits crop, vegetables, and ornamental plants. The objective of this study, carried out in Western Burkina Faso during two consecutive seasons (dry and rainy), was to establish the host plants of the mango mealybug. Thus, twenty orchards were surveyed in fifteen locations. The inventory was conducted on a radius of 200m along the diagonal of each orchard. The level of infestation of the insect pest was assessed on the leaves or on the stem, depending on the type of tree. Beside the mango tree, 40 host plants of the insect pest, belonging to 24 families, were found. These host plants included fruit crops, food crops, ornamental plants, vegetables, weeds, wild plants and timber species. Vitex doniana, Khaya senegalensis, Musa sapientum, Passiflora sp., Vitellaria paradoxa, Citrus limon, C. tangelo and Tectona grandis were the most infested species by the insect pest. Fruit crops, weeds and wild plants were predominant in the frequencies of infestation compared to the other host plants. The establishment of the host range of R. invadens will improve strategies to control this pest in Burkina Faso and limit its spread to other area of the country.