A Review of Biology and Management of Lesser Grain Borer, Rhyzopertha dominica F. (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) in Northern Nigerian Storage System

Grains in Nigeria are mostly produced and stored by rural farmers at the farm/village level after harvest. The prominent storage structures existing in rural areas in Nigeria are the mud rhumbus, thatched rhumbus and underground pits. During storage, different species of insect pests were observed to cause serious damage to grains. The lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica, is one of the major primary pests of stored grains in many regions of the world. A summary of relevant literature on the general biology and ecology of the insect, conditions favourable for pest development and its life stages is presented in this review. The paper was also intended to review feeding habits of R. dominica, which includes a review of various grain and non-grain substances that have been reported as forming food and potential breeding resources for the insect. Discussion on grain losses due to R. dominica infestation is also given in this article. Furthermore, various methods of controlling the insect are discussed. Therefore, this paper aimed at reviewing some of the available literature on biology and various control methods of R. dominica as a contribution to post-harvest integrated pest management (IPM) in northern Nigerian on-farm traditional granaries.

Keywords: Grain losses, Granaries, Infestation, Management, Northern Nigeria, Rhyzopertha dominica.