Adult Anomala denuda arrow 1819 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) as nocturnal insect pest of maize in Côte d’Ivoire

In previous studies, the adult A. denula beetle was not considered as a major crop insect pest stage. The objective of this study was to elucidate the beetle potential to inflict substantial damage to the crop as its larval stage. The study was conducted on an experimental farm covering 2 592m², in the Southern region of Côte d’Ivoire. Results show that high abundance peaks of A. denuda on maize farm occurs during the flowering stage of maize, between the 48th and 58th days after sowing. Observations also revealed that the feeding and mating activities of the beetle were predominant between 10 pm and 12 am. Attack by this beetle has a significant impact on maize yield when it occurs between 1 and 6 days after flowering. Over the period three cropping years, yield losses of 26.62%, 32.31% and 21.35% were recorded in 2019, 2020 and 2021 respectively, resulting in an average yield loss of 26.76%. The severity of adult A. denuda attacks on maize cultivated in the studied region confirmed the pest status of this beetle at the imago stage. Therefore, it is urgent to implement effective and eco-friendly control methods against A. denuda.