Cotton plant devastators (Heteroptera) associated with the reproduction phase of cotton: species richness and abundance in the Agro-ecological regions of Togo (West Africa)

Abstract

It is worth controlling arthropods, cotton plant devastators for a production in quantity and quality. Phytophagous bugs, secondary devastators before 1980 in Togo constitute nowadays an important entomological factor with regard to their density and damage they cause. Their inventory was conducted through young plant felling and threshing in 4 agro-ecological regions. This process shows that these insects connected to floral and fruit-bearing phase are abundant and diversified. 55 species belonging to 7 families have been counted. The family of Pentatomidae is the most represented in species. In contrary, the family of Miridae is the most abundant followed respectively by Pyrrhocoridae and Pentatomidae. The four (4) agro-ecological regions are similar in terms of bugs’ diversity. These results can be useful in the improvement of fighting strategies.