| The pest eats holes in the underground pods of bambaranut. The symptoms
differ from termite damage as the pods are just emptied of contents, while
termite-damaged pods are usually filled with soil.
A series of photos were taken of the attack and two are shown above
(photo 1 & 2) They indicate a long slim larvae, whitish or grey and
clearly segmented with a pale brown head. The larve looks similar to false
wireworm. No specimens were taken.
A second sample was taken (photos 3 & 4). The larvae were up to
30 mm long and thicker, brown with distinct legs. The tail end has a strange,
charateristic look as if it were cut off at a slanting angle. Two specimens
were preserved.
The second series of photos or samples are very similar to pest No.
11 Underground beetle, a larvae that can reach a size of 60 mm. This larvae
is well known by the women who weed the Pearl millet and Sorghum fields.
They report that it damages the roots of these crops. |
