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The palm weevils, Rhynchophorus, have last stage larvae that are highly appreciated by the population of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The population has a poor knowledge of the adult of this insect. We initiated this work to contribute to a better knowledge of the species of Rhynchophorus in the region and, to know their population dynamics. Three sites (Tshopo, Lubunga and Bangboka) on three different axes, 12 km from the city center were chosen. We used erect type traps, mounted on Wild Palms for two years (2012 and 2013). This work revealed the existence of three species of Rhynchophorus in this region: R. phoenicis, R. ferrugineus and R. quadrangulus. R. phoenicis is the most abundant species in the three study sites; R. ferrugineus is a rare species, while R. quadrangulus is relatively absent. The Tshopo and Lubunga sites each have three species, while the Bangboka site has only one (R. phoenicis). The insects are more frequent during the rainy period (March to May). The sex ratio was 0.5 in 2012, while in 2013 it reached 0.6, characterizing a growing population. |
