A brief inventory of bruchids (Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae) and similar pest beetles occurring on peas in the Republic of Congo: barcoding and prospects

Abstract

Abstract The seed beetles of the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Bruchinae, are pest species that cause substantial damage to legume crops, affecting supply for human and animal consumption. Legumes are a staple of the Congolese population due to their protein-rich seeds, productivity, and ability to improve soil fertility when combined with cereals. In this study, we focused on bruchids that attack two varieties of peas, Cajanus cajan and Vigna unguiculata subsp. cylindrica, in the Republic of Congo. 80 individuals of bruchids were considered from the two main pea-growing departments: Bouenza and Niari. Specimens were collected using baited traps placed in the field and by manually selecting affected seeds from the storage areas. Individuals were categorised at the species level based on morphological traits and molecular barcode analyses. This is the second time that 12S rRNA sequences of bruchids from the Republic of Congo have been deposited in the GenBank database. This study emphasises the need to enrich the GenBank database with DNA sequences originating from areas where the technical means to carry out quality morphological analyses are limited.