First Report of Insect Species Associated With Domesticated African Baobab ( <i>Adansonia digitata</i> L.) in Ghana

Abstract

The African baobab ( Adansonia digitata L.) is a priority Pan‐African tree species. Insect pests that are associated with and damage domesticated baobab are largely unknown in the production areas of baobab. To identify and document insect pests associated with domesticated African baobab for the first time, mature and young domesticated baobab plants were, respectively, surveyed on the research fields and nursery of the Ho Technical University in Ho, Ghana. The survey targeted all insects found on baobab with the goal of documenting pests that infest baobab plants. Collected insect samples were photographed and searched using Google Lens and the iNaturalist insect identification application for their identification and taxonomic classification. The entomological specimens collected were classified into 7 orders, 11 families, and 16 insect species. The most frequent orders were Hemiptera (37.5%) and Coleoptera (31.25%). The incidence of the remaining orders (Orthoptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Araneae, and Dictyoptera) was very low with 6.25% abundance each. Regarding absolute counts, the Coleopteran order had a significantly ( p ≤ 0.05) higher number of insects (51.48 ± 7.42955) than the other orders; Araneae (4.70 ± 7.42955), Hemiptera (1.10 ± 7.42955), Dictyoptera (0.45 ± 7.42955), Orthoptera (0.40 ± 7.42955), Hymenoptera (0.30 ± 7.42955), and Lepidoptera (0.05 ± 7.42955). No significant difference was observed among these remaining orders. The cocoa weevil ( Araecerus fasciculatus ) was the most dominant insect pest. Some beneficial insects were also found on the baobab plants. Monitoring and management interventions, particularly integrated pest management (IPM), that target the identified insect pests can be implemented to ensure the sustainable cultivation of baobab. Further research is required to identify and classify insect pests that may not have been captured and identified in this study.