Entomofauna of Oil Palm Tree Inflorescences at La Me' Experimental Station (Cote d'Ivoire)

Pollination of oil palm tree is mainly entomophilous. The inflorescences of this plant lodge many insects. The identification and quantification of these insects have proven ability to hold their pollination. The entomofauna of female and male inflorescences was inventoried and quantified at La Mé, a station of CNRA, the National Center of Agronomic Research of Côte d'Ivoire (West Africa) for a period of 2 years. The insects of the male inflorescences were listed at the beginning, the full and the end of anthesis on 1536 spikelets of 384 male inflorescences. For the insects of female inflorescences, 96 inflorescences were covered with a muslin sheath. The insects arriving on these inflorescences were captured in 2 days corresponding to anthesis length, during 10 minutes per hour, from 6 am to 6 pm. Species Elaeidobius sp., Microporum sp., Prosoestus sp. and Atheta burgeoni were common and regular present regardless of inflorescence type. Species Gabrius sp., Thrips sp., Anthocoride sp., Lithargus sp. and the bees (Nomia sp. and Apis mellifera) were rarely observed in female inflorescences. Elaeidobius kamerunicus and Prosoestus sp. were more abundant on the female than on the male inflorescences. The higher level of insects was observed in full anthesis on male inflorescences whereas among female inflorescences it was noted at the first day of flowering. Knowledge of the insect fauna of oil palm inflorescences according to different stages of flowering allows better management of pollination.