A SURVEY OF STORAGE COLEOPTERA WHICH ATTACK DRIED COCOYAM CHIPS IN NIGERIA

In a survey of five locations in Anambra State, Nigeria, 13 species from 11 families of the Coleoptera were recorded from dried cocoyam chips. These include primary grain pests such as Araecerus fasciculatus, Dinoderus procellus, Rhizopertha dominica, Sitophilus zeamais and Tenebroides mauritanicus, bran and flour beetles like Brachypelus pilosellus, Tribolium castaneum and Tribolium confusum, and two other species namely Dermestes maculatus and Necrobia rufipes commonly associated with dried fish and meat. This array suggests severe cross infestation which normally results from poor storage and transportation conditions, and portends serious problems for future processing and storage of this product, Cocoyam chips were similar as a food material to other root crops, e.g. yam and cassava, for the development of A. fasciculatus, Dinoderus porcellus, S. zeamais and Tribolium castaneum but were not as good as cowpea or maize. With increasing interest in dried cocoyam products, especially in their use as starch fillers in the manufacture of biodegradable polyethylene materials, the economic significance of insect damage should be given more attention.