Diversity, Population Dynamics, and Damage Intensity of Insect Pests Associated with Oil Palm (<i>Elaeis guineensis</i> Jacq.) in Southwestern Côte d’Ivoire Industrial Plantations

Anicet Desire Kouassi; Eric-Olivier Tienebo; Nahoule Armand Adja; Yann Gildas Kouakou; Yao Casimir Brou

doi:doi:10.11648/j.bio.20251306.13

Research Article |

| Peer-Reviewed

Diversity, Population Dynamics, and Damage Intensity of Insect Pests Associated with Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) in Southwestern Côte d’Ivoire Industrial Plantations

Anicet Desire Kouassi

, Eric-Olivier Tienebo^*

, Nahoule Armand Adja

, Yann Gildas Kouakou

, Yao Casimir Brou

Published in American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering (Volume 13, Issue 6)

Received: 14 November 2025 Accepted: 9 December 2025 Published: 30 December 2025

Views: Downloads:

Download PDF

Share This Article

Twitter
Linked In
Facebook

Abstract

Understanding the composition and dynamics of insect pest communities is crucial for developing effective and sustainable management strategies in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) production systems. This study provides an updated inventory and ecological analysis of insect pests associated with industrial oil palm plantations in southwestern Côte d’Ivoire. The objective was to characterize pest diversity, abundance, and damage intensity across plantations of different phenological stages. Sampling was conducted during the late rainy to early dry season (March to July 2024) across three strata: Young Non-Productive Crops (YNPC), Young Productive Crops (YPC), and Mature Crops (MC). A total of 30,380, 717, and 882 palms were respectively examined in these strata. Insects were collected from a single frond per tree and identified using both morphological keys and image-recognition tools, with confirmation at the Entomology and Agricultural Zoology Laboratory of INP-HB (Yamoussoukro). Ecological indices, including species richness (S), Shannon diversity (H′), evenness (E), and similarity (Jaccard and Sørensen), were calculated to compare community structures. Ten pest species belonging to nine families and three orders (Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and Orthoptera) were recorded. Species composition varied markedly with plantation age. Oryctes monoceros dominated in YNPC (Ar = 100%), Zonocerus variegatus in YPC (Ar = 72.14%), and Coelaenomenodera lameensis in MC (Ar = 91.70%). Species richness and diversity increased with age (S = 1 to 8; H′ = 0 to 0.72), whereas evenness remained low (E ≤ 0.24), indicating strong dominance by a few species. Similarity indices revealed complete faunal turnover between young and mature strata, confirming a clear ecological succession. Multivariate analyses revealed near-complete faunal turnover between strata (ANOSIM R = 1.0, p = 0.001), with hierarchical clustering perfectly grouping plots according to plantation age. Damage intensity followed the same trend: minimal in YNPC (mainly due to O. monoceros), moderate in YPC, and severe in MC, where C. lameensis caused up to 78.68% moderate and 2.49% severe damage. These results demonstrate that pest pressure and community complexity increase with the maturity of oil palm. Effective pest management, therefore, requires a phenology-based integrated approach, combining preventive measures in young plantations with regular entomological monitoring and biological or selective chemical control in mature ones. Continuous surveillance and the conservation of natural enemies are crucial for enhancing the ecological resilience and sustainability of Ivorian oil palm agroecosystems.

Published in	American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering (Volume 13, Issue 6)
DOI	10.11648/j.bio.20251306.13
Page(s)	121-137
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Oil Palm, Elaeis Guineensis, Insect Pests, Community Structure, Ecological Succession, Biodiversity, Côte d’Ivoire

References

[1]	Ooi TEK, Yeap WC, Daim LDJ, et al. 2015. Differential abundance analysis of mesocarp protein from high- and low-yielding oil palms associates non-oil biosynthetic enzymes to lipid biosynthesis. Proteome Science. 13(1): 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12953-015-0085-2
[2]	Sundrasegaran S, and Mah SH. 2020. Extraction Methods of Virgin Coconut Oil and Palm-pressed Mesocarp Oil and their Phytonutrients. eFood. 1(6): 381-91. https://doi.org/10.2991/efood.k.201106.001
[3]	Konan JN, Fofana VP, Fofana IJ, Niamketchi GL, N’Guessan AH, and Soumahoro M. 2024. Improvement of the Bunch and Oil Yields of Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) by Introducing Material of Yocoboué Origin into the Selection Scheme in Côte d’Ivoire. Journal of Experimental Agriculture International. 46(1): 103-14. https://doi.org/10.9734/jeai/2024/v46i12299
[4]	Konan K, Jean-Martial KKF, Gaston KK, and Koffi B. 2018. Comparison of the productivity of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) grown on tertiary sand and swampy area of Southern of Côte d’Ivoire. International Journal of Research in Agronomy. 1(1): 30-6. https://doi.org/10.33545/2618060X.2018.v1.i1a.49
[5]	Kouakou P-AK. 2020. Role of trade in natural rubber and palm oil in the composition of GDP in Ivory Coast. Agricultural and Resource Economics: International Scientific E-Journal.: 48-63. https://doi.org/10.51599/are.2020.06.03.03
[6]	Murphy DJ, Goggin K, and Paterson RRM. 2021. Oil palm in the 2020s and beyond: challenges and solutions. Cabi Agriculture and Bioscience. 2(1): 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43170-021-00058-3
[7]	Egonyu JP, Baguma J, Martínez LC, et al. 2022. Global Advances on Insect Pest Management Research in Oil Palm. Sustainability. 14(23). https://doi.org/10.3390/su142316288
[8]	Bessou C, Verwilghen A, Beaudoin-Ollivier L, et al. 2017. Agroecological practices in oil palm plantations: examples from the field. OCL. 24(3): D305. https://doi.org/10.1051/ocl/2017024
[9]	Cardona C. 2010. Insectos como vectores de enfermedades en palma de aceite. Palmas. 31(especial,): 383-7.
[10]	Mariau D. 1998. Hemiptera (Insecta) on Oil Palm and Coconut. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science. 18(4): 269-77. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400018488
[11]	Mariau D, and Lecoustre R. 2004. An explanation for outbreaks of Coelaenomenodera lameensis Berti & Mariau (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a leaf miner of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) in West Africa, based on a study of mortality factors. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science. 24(2): 159-69. https://doi.org/10.1079/IJT200415
[12]	Allou K, Morin J-P, and Rochat D. 2002. Improvement of the olfactory trapping of Oryctes monoceros (Olivier), Coleoptera, Dynastidae, a pest of coconut and oil palm trees in Cote d'Ivoire.
[13]	Philippe R, and Dery SK. 2004. New Way of Controlling Oryctes monoceros (Coleoptera, Dynastidae), A Coconut Pest in Ghana. Cord. 20(1): 34-34. https://doi.org/10.37833/cord.v20i01.382
[14]	Siddiqui SA, Thanpandiyan K, Adli DN, Yudhistira B, Fernando I, and Palo PD. 2024. Overview of the African palm weevil (Rhynchophorus phoenicis) as food and feed - A critical review. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed. 11(3): 593-620. https://doi.org/10.1163/23524588-00001005
[15]	Baguma J, Otema M, Ddamulira G, Naluyimba R, and Egonyu JP. 2019. Distribution and Incidence of the Oil Palm Weevil Rhynchophorus phoenicis (Fabricius, 1801) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Selected Agroecological Zones of Uganda. African Entomology. 27(2): 477-87. https://doi.org/10.4001/003.027.0477
[16]	Kouassi AC, Akpesse AAM, Hala N, N’Guessan AH, Koua KH, and Kouassi KP. 2021. Spatial Distribution of Coelaenomenodera lameensis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Hispinae), in the main Oil Palm Tree Production Areas in Cote d’Ivoire. International Journal of Agriculture, Environment and Bioresearch. 06(05): 217-29. https://doi.org/10.35410/IJAEB.2021.5677
[17]	Mariau D, and Biggins P. 2001. The fauna of oil palm and coconut : insect and mite pests and their natural enemies. CIRAD.
[18]	Ponnamma KN. 2001. Biological Control of Pests of Oil Palm. In: Upadhyay RK, Mukerji KG, Chamola BP, eds. Biocontrol Potential and its Exploitation in Sustainable Agriculture: Volume 2: Insect Pests. Boston, MA. Springer US; 235-60. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1377-3_15
[19]	Garnas J, Ayres M, and Lombardero M. 2023. Forest Insect Population Dynamics. 115-40. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-11553-0_5
[20]	Lohr SL. 2019. Sampling: Design and Analysis. 2nd ed. New York. Chapman and Hall/CRC. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429296284
[21]	Cochran WG. 1977. Sampling Techniques. Wiley.
[22]	Appiah SO. 2008. Phytosanitary monitoring and surveillance system for integrated management of oil palm pests in Ghana : A review. Ghana Journal of Agricultural Science. 41(2). https://doi.org/10.4314/gjas.v41i2.48802
[23]	Adja AN, Bley-Atse AB, Tienebo E-O, Gnago JA, and Danho M. 2023. Use of Selected Chemical and Biological Insecticides to Control Lepidopteran Pests of Maize Fields in Central Côte d’Ivoire. International Journal of Environment and Climate Change. 13(11): 812-25. https://doi.org/10.9734/ijecc/2023/v13i113229
[24]	Adja AN, Bley-Atse AB, Gnago JA, Tienebo E-O, and Danho M. 2023. Damage Caused by Lepidopteran Pests on Maize Fields in Yamoussoukro, Central Côte d’Ivoire. International Journal of Plant & Soil Science. 35(18): 815-23. https://doi.org/10.9734/ijpss/2023/v35i183348
[25]	Yarou BB, Aboubakar Souna D, Goergen G, et al. 2025. Main pests and beneficial insects in vegetable growing areas in West Africa: The case of Benin. Practical identification guide. CIRAD.
[26]	Leraut P. 2007. Insectos de España y Europa. Barcelona. Lynx ed.
[27]	Michael Chinery. 2005. COLLINS COMPLETE GUIDE TO BRITISH INSECTS [Paperback] Michael Chinery.
[28]	Delvare G, and Aberlenc H-P. 1989. Insects of Africa and Tropical America: Keys to Family Identification. Editions Quae.
[29]	Bordat D, and Arvanitakis L. 2004. Arthropodes des cultures légumières d’Afrique de l’Ouest, centrale, Mayotte et Réunion. CIRAD-FLHOR.
[30]	Dajoz R. 1996. Précis d’écologie. Dunod.
[31]	Ayalew Y, Getachew G, and Yazezew D. 2025. Species Composition, Abundance, and Habitat Association of Medium- and Large-Sized Mammals in and Around Yegof National Forest Priority Area, Wollo, Ethiopia. The Scientific World Journal. 2025: 7937738. https://doi.org/10.1155/tswj/7937738
[32]	Issa MAA. 2019. Diversity and abundance of wild birds species’ in two different habitats at Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. The Journal of Basic and Applied Zoology. 80(1): 34. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41936-019-0103-5
[33]	Shimadzu H. 2018. On species richness and rarefaction: size- and coverage-based techniques quantify different characteristics of richness change in biodiversity. Journal of Mathematical Biology. 77(5): 1363-81. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00285-018-1255-5
[34]	Aggemyr E, Auffret AG, Jädergård L, and Cousins SAO. 2018. Species richness and composition differ in response to landscape and biogeography. Landscape Ecology. 33(12): 2273-84. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-018-0742-9
[35]	Luna P, Corro EJ, Antoniazzi R, et al. 2020. Measuring and Linking the Missing Part of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function: The Diversity of Biotic Interactions. Diversity. 12(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/d12030086
[36]	Konopiński MK. 2020. Shannon diversity index: a call to replace the original Shannon’s formula with unbiased estimator in the population genetics studies. PeerJ. 8: e9391. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9391
[37]	Jost L. 2010. The Relation between Evenness and Diversity. Diversity. 2(2): 207-32. https://doi.org/10.3390/d2020207
[38]	Ricotta C, and Avena G. 2003. On the relationship between Pielou’s evenness and landscape dominance within the context of Hill’s diversity profiles. Ecological Indicators. 2(4): 361-5. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-160X(03)00005-0
[39]	Baselga A, and Leprieur F. 2015. Comparing methods to separate components of beta diversity. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 6(9): 1069-79. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12388
[40]	Chung NC, Miasojedow B, Startek M, and Gambin A. 2019. Jaccard/Tanimoto similarity test and estimation methods for biological presence-absence data. BMC Bioinformatics. 20(Suppl 15): 644. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12859-019-3118-5
[41]	Julia J-F, and Mariau D. 1976. Research on Oryctes monoceros Ol. in Cote d'Ivoire. 3. Olfactory trapping using ethyl chrysanthemate.
[42]	Allou K, Morin J-P, Kouassi P, N’klo FH, and Rochat D. 2006. Oryctes monoceros trapping with synthetic pheromone and palm material in Ivory Coast. Journal of Chemical Ecology. 32(8): 1743-54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-006-9106-z
[43]	Beaudoin-Ollivier L, Flori A, Coffi A, Cros D, Glitho I, and Nodichao L. 2015. Survival of Coelaenomenodera lameensis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Relation to the Physical Characteristics of Different Oil Palm (Elaeis sp.) Breeding Populations. Journal of Insect Science. 15(1): 80. https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/iev066
[44]	Mohd-Azlan J, Conway S, Travers TJP, et al. 2023. The Filtering Effect of Oil Palm Plantations on Potential Insect Pollinator Assemblages from Remnant Forest Patches. Land. 12(6). https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061256
[45]	Kwatrina RT, Santosa Y, Bismark M, and Santoso N. 2018. Ecological Impacts of Oil-Palm Plantation on Butterfly and Bird Species Diversity. Jurnal Manajemen Hutan Tropika. 24(1): 23-31.
[46]	Savilaakso S, Garcia C, Garcia-Ulloa J, et al. 2014. Systematic review of effects on biodiversity from oil palm production. Environmental Evidence. 3(1): 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/2047-2382-3-4
[47]	Lorm TAD, Barclay M, Bernard H, et al. 2025. Stand age drives changes in the biodiversity and microclimate of oil palm plantations: 2025.10.31.682997. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.10.31.682997
[48]	Shameer KS, Almandhari T, and Hardy ICW. 2024. Plant-herbivore-natural enemy trophic webs in date palm agroecosystems. Journal of Pest Science. 97(4): 1957-74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-023-01730-5
[49]	Otieno NE, and Mukasi J. 2023. Tropical insectivorous birds’ predation patterns that promote forest-farmland trophic connectivity for integrated top-down pest biocontrol. Frontiers in Environmental Science. 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1194267
[50]	Aneni TI, Aisagbonhi CI, Ghansah B, V. C. A, Irorere MO, and Ohweho G. 2015. Integrated Pest Management of Oryctes Monoceros, Rhynchophorus Phoenicis and Latoia Viridissima in Okomu Oil Palm Plantation, Nigeria. Journal of Agriculture and Crops. 1(2): 15-25.
[51]	Kouakou M, Hala KA, Hala N, and Dagnogo M. 2018. Effectiveness of Entomophilous Pollination of Oil Palms in Plantations in the Southwest and Southeast of Cote d'Ivoire. European Scientific Journal, ESJ. 14(12): 392-392. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2018.v14n12p392
[52]	Hala N, Tuo Y, Akpesse A a. M, Koua HK, and Tano Y. 2012. Entomofauna of Oil Palm Tree Inflorescences at La Mé Experimental Station (Côte d’Ivoire). Journal of Experimental Agriculture International: 306-19. https://doi.org/10.9734/AJEA/2012/1128

Cite This Article

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Kouassi, A. D., Tienebo, E., Adja, N. A., Kouakou, Y. G., Brou, Y. C. (2025). Diversity, Population Dynamics, and Damage Intensity of Insect Pests Associated with Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) in Southwestern Côte d’Ivoire Industrial Plantations. American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, 13(6), 121-137. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bio.20251306.13

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Kouassi, A. D.; Tienebo, E.; Adja, N. A.; Kouakou, Y. G.; Brou, Y. C. Diversity, Population Dynamics, and Damage Intensity of Insect Pests Associated with Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) in Southwestern Côte d’Ivoire Industrial Plantations. Am. J. BioSci. Bioeng. 2025, 13(6), 121-137. doi: 10.11648/j.bio.20251306.13

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Kouassi AD, Tienebo E, Adja NA, Kouakou YG, Brou YC. Diversity, Population Dynamics, and Damage Intensity of Insect Pests Associated with Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) in Southwestern Côte d’Ivoire Industrial Plantations. Am J BioSci Bioeng. 2025;13(6):121-137. doi: 10.11648/j.bio.20251306.13

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.bio.20251306.13,
  author = {Anicet Desire Kouassi and Eric-Olivier Tienebo and Nahoule Armand Adja and Yann Gildas Kouakou and Yao Casimir Brou},
  title = {Diversity, Population Dynamics, and Damage Intensity of Insect Pests Associated with Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) in Southwestern Côte d’Ivoire Industrial Plantations},
  journal = {American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering},
  volume = {13},
  number = {6},
  pages = {121-137},
  doi = {10.11648/j.bio.20251306.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bio.20251306.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.bio.20251306.13},
  abstract = {Understanding the composition and dynamics of insect pest communities is crucial for developing effective and sustainable management strategies in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) production systems. This study provides an updated inventory and ecological analysis of insect pests associated with industrial oil palm plantations in southwestern Côte d’Ivoire. The objective was to characterize pest diversity, abundance, and damage intensity across plantations of different phenological stages. Sampling was conducted during the late rainy to early dry season (March to July 2024) across three strata: Young Non-Productive Crops (YNPC), Young Productive Crops (YPC), and Mature Crops (MC). A total of 30,380, 717, and 882 palms were respectively examined in these strata. Insects were collected from a single frond per tree and identified using both morphological keys and image-recognition tools, with confirmation at the Entomology and Agricultural Zoology Laboratory of INP-HB (Yamoussoukro). Ecological indices, including species richness (S), Shannon diversity (H′), evenness (E), and similarity (Jaccard and Sørensen), were calculated to compare community structures. Ten pest species belonging to nine families and three orders (Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and Orthoptera) were recorded. Species composition varied markedly with plantation age. Oryctes monoceros dominated in YNPC (Ar = 100%), Zonocerus variegatus in YPC (Ar = 72.14%), and Coelaenomenodera lameensis in MC (Ar = 91.70%). Species richness and diversity increased with age (S = 1 to 8; H′ = 0 to 0.72), whereas evenness remained low (E ≤ 0.24), indicating strong dominance by a few species. Similarity indices revealed complete faunal turnover between young and mature strata, confirming a clear ecological succession. Multivariate analyses revealed near-complete faunal turnover between strata (ANOSIM R = 1.0, p = 0.001), with hierarchical clustering perfectly grouping plots according to plantation age. Damage intensity followed the same trend: minimal in YNPC (mainly due to O. monoceros), moderate in YPC, and severe in MC, where C. lameensis caused up to 78.68% moderate and 2.49% severe damage. These results demonstrate that pest pressure and community complexity increase with the maturity of oil palm. Effective pest management, therefore, requires a phenology-based integrated approach, combining preventive measures in young plantations with regular entomological monitoring and biological or selective chemical control in mature ones. Continuous surveillance and the conservation of natural enemies are crucial for enhancing the ecological resilience and sustainability of Ivorian oil palm agroecosystems.},
 year = {2025}
}

Copy | Download

TY - JOUR
T1 - Diversity, Population Dynamics, and Damage Intensity of Insect Pests Associated with Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) in Southwestern Côte d’Ivoire Industrial Plantations
AU - Anicet Desire Kouassi
AU - Eric-Olivier Tienebo
AU - Nahoule Armand Adja
AU - Yann Gildas Kouakou
AU - Yao Casimir Brou
Y1 - 2025/12/30
PY - 2025
N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bio.20251306.13
DO - 10.11648/j.bio.20251306.13
T2 - American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering
JF - American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering
JO - American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering
SP - 121
EP - 137
PB - Science Publishing Group
SN - 2328-5893
UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bio.20251306.13
AB - Understanding the composition and dynamics of insect pest communities is crucial for developing effective and sustainable management strategies in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) production systems. This study provides an updated inventory and ecological analysis of insect pests associated with industrial oil palm plantations in southwestern Côte d’Ivoire. The objective was to characterize pest diversity, abundance, and damage intensity across plantations of different phenological stages. Sampling was conducted during the late rainy to early dry season (March to July 2024) across three strata: Young Non-Productive Crops (YNPC), Young Productive Crops (YPC), and Mature Crops (MC). A total of 30,380, 717, and 882 palms were respectively examined in these strata. Insects were collected from a single frond per tree and identified using both morphological keys and image-recognition tools, with confirmation at the Entomology and Agricultural Zoology Laboratory of INP-HB (Yamoussoukro). Ecological indices, including species richness (S), Shannon diversity (H′), evenness (E), and similarity (Jaccard and Sørensen), were calculated to compare community structures. Ten pest species belonging to nine families and three orders (Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and Orthoptera) were recorded. Species composition varied markedly with plantation age. Oryctes monoceros dominated in YNPC (Ar = 100%), Zonocerus variegatus in YPC (Ar = 72.14%), and Coelaenomenodera lameensis in MC (Ar = 91.70%). Species richness and diversity increased with age (S = 1 to 8; H′ = 0 to 0.72), whereas evenness remained low (E ≤ 0.24), indicating strong dominance by a few species. Similarity indices revealed complete faunal turnover between young and mature strata, confirming a clear ecological succession. Multivariate analyses revealed near-complete faunal turnover between strata (ANOSIM R = 1.0, p = 0.001), with hierarchical clustering perfectly grouping plots according to plantation age. Damage intensity followed the same trend: minimal in YNPC (mainly due to O. monoceros), moderate in YPC, and severe in MC, where C. lameensis caused up to 78.68% moderate and 2.49% severe damage. These results demonstrate that pest pressure and community complexity increase with the maturity of oil palm. Effective pest management, therefore, requires a phenology-based integrated approach, combining preventive measures in young plantations with regular entomological monitoring and biological or selective chemical control in mature ones. Continuous surveillance and the conservation of natural enemies are crucial for enhancing the ecological resilience and sustainability of Ivorian oil palm agroecosystems.
VL - 13
IS - 6
ER -

Copy | Download

Author Information

Anicet Desire Kouassi

Joint Research and Innovation Unit - Agricultural Sciences and Processing Techniques (UMRI - SAPT), Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY National Polytechnic Institute (INP-HB), Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0005-4446-1727
Eric-Olivier Tienebo

Joint Research and Innovation Unit - Agricultural Sciences and Processing Techniques (UMRI - SAPT), Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY National Polytechnic Institute (INP-HB), Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7877-3079
Nahoule Armand Adja

Joint Research and Innovation Unit - Agricultural Sciences and Processing Techniques (UMRI - SAPT), Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY National Polytechnic Institute (INP-HB), Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0008-5928-282X
Yann Gildas Kouakou

Joint Research and Innovation Unit - Agricultural Sciences and Processing Techniques (UMRI - SAPT), Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY National Polytechnic Institute (INP-HB), Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0005-5203-2930
Yao Casimir Brou

Joint Research and Innovation Unit - Agricultural Sciences and Processing Techniques (UMRI - SAPT), Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY National Polytechnic Institute (INP-HB), Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2478-5637

Download PDF

Submit an Article

Sections

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Kouassi, A. D., Tienebo, E., Adja, N. A., Kouakou, Y. G., Brou, Y. C. (2025). Diversity, Population Dynamics, and Damage Intensity of Insect Pests Associated with Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) in Southwestern Côte d’Ivoire Industrial Plantations. American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, 13(6), 121-137. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bio.20251306.13

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Kouassi, A. D.; Tienebo, E.; Adja, N. A.; Kouakou, Y. G.; Brou, Y. C. Diversity, Population Dynamics, and Damage Intensity of Insect Pests Associated with Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) in Southwestern Côte d’Ivoire Industrial Plantations. Am. J. BioSci. Bioeng. 2025, 13(6), 121-137. doi: 10.11648/j.bio.20251306.13

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Kouassi AD, Tienebo E, Adja NA, Kouakou YG, Brou YC. Diversity, Population Dynamics, and Damage Intensity of Insect Pests Associated with Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) in Southwestern Côte d’Ivoire Industrial Plantations. Am J BioSci Bioeng. 2025;13(6):121-137. doi: 10.11648/j.bio.20251306.13

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.bio.20251306.13,
  author = {Anicet Desire Kouassi and Eric-Olivier Tienebo and Nahoule Armand Adja and Yann Gildas Kouakou and Yao Casimir Brou},
  title = {Diversity, Population Dynamics, and Damage Intensity of Insect Pests Associated with Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) in Southwestern Côte d’Ivoire Industrial Plantations},
  journal = {American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering},
  volume = {13},
  number = {6},
  pages = {121-137},
  doi = {10.11648/j.bio.20251306.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bio.20251306.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.bio.20251306.13},
  abstract = {Understanding the composition and dynamics of insect pest communities is crucial for developing effective and sustainable management strategies in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) production systems. This study provides an updated inventory and ecological analysis of insect pests associated with industrial oil palm plantations in southwestern Côte d’Ivoire. The objective was to characterize pest diversity, abundance, and damage intensity across plantations of different phenological stages. Sampling was conducted during the late rainy to early dry season (March to July 2024) across three strata: Young Non-Productive Crops (YNPC), Young Productive Crops (YPC), and Mature Crops (MC). A total of 30,380, 717, and 882 palms were respectively examined in these strata. Insects were collected from a single frond per tree and identified using both morphological keys and image-recognition tools, with confirmation at the Entomology and Agricultural Zoology Laboratory of INP-HB (Yamoussoukro). Ecological indices, including species richness (S), Shannon diversity (H′), evenness (E), and similarity (Jaccard and Sørensen), were calculated to compare community structures. Ten pest species belonging to nine families and three orders (Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and Orthoptera) were recorded. Species composition varied markedly with plantation age. Oryctes monoceros dominated in YNPC (Ar = 100%), Zonocerus variegatus in YPC (Ar = 72.14%), and Coelaenomenodera lameensis in MC (Ar = 91.70%). Species richness and diversity increased with age (S = 1 to 8; H′ = 0 to 0.72), whereas evenness remained low (E ≤ 0.24), indicating strong dominance by a few species. Similarity indices revealed complete faunal turnover between young and mature strata, confirming a clear ecological succession. Multivariate analyses revealed near-complete faunal turnover between strata (ANOSIM R = 1.0, p = 0.001), with hierarchical clustering perfectly grouping plots according to plantation age. Damage intensity followed the same trend: minimal in YNPC (mainly due to O. monoceros), moderate in YPC, and severe in MC, where C. lameensis caused up to 78.68% moderate and 2.49% severe damage. These results demonstrate that pest pressure and community complexity increase with the maturity of oil palm. Effective pest management, therefore, requires a phenology-based integrated approach, combining preventive measures in young plantations with regular entomological monitoring and biological or selective chemical control in mature ones. Continuous surveillance and the conservation of natural enemies are crucial for enhancing the ecological resilience and sustainability of Ivorian oil palm agroecosystems.},
 year = {2025}
}

Copy | Download