Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), commonly known as the cowpea seed beetle, is the most important pest of stored cowpea in tropical Africa. In rural area where preservation techniques and facilities are limited, it causes post-harvest weight and quality losses. The importance of damages which can reach 100% in a few months justifies the development of effective and appropriate control methods in the villages. All these control methods and their applications are discussed in this paper. Chemical control is inappropriate at farm level, because of its cost and hazards. The many studies conducted on varietal resistance have enabled identification of varieties that are more or less resistant to this pest; however, the varieties are often of little interest from the agronomic point of view. The incorporation of that resistance in cultivated varieties is in progress. The physical control methods are inadequate because their application requires equipment and technical knowledge which are not found in rural areas. Biological control is an attractive alternative but is still at an experimental stage. All these limitations support promotion of traditional control methods. Among them, the use of inert substances as well as indigenous plants or their by-products have given, in many cases, a satisfactory control of C. maculatus.

Tropical African ticks are found on their hosts throughout the year, but at varying infestation levels. These population changes, for most of the time, have been associated with climatic changes. Their development is inversely related to temperature. Several workers reported that development failed for a number of tick species at temperatures below 15°C, suggesting a possible lower temperature threshold for tick development. The upper development limit for most of the tropical rhipicephalids appear to be 37°C.

Ticks are particularly susceptible to attack during lethargic pre-moulting and the weak post-moulting period. Many biological features enable them, however, to survive especially well. They lay numerous eggs and withstand a comparatively wide temperature and humidity range with greater ease. They survive for months or years without food.

Their degree of host specificity varies from genus to genus or within subgroups of various genera. The requirement of two or more kinds of hosts often with divergent habits, limits their distribution to certain faunal areas.

This paper reviews our current knowledge on development and survival of ixodid ticks under tropical field conditions including some laboratory studies.

The rice plant is an extremely versatile crop that is grown under both tropical and sub-tropical conditions in various ecological conditions. Several insect pest species attack the rice crop at all growth stages while in the field. The nature and magnitude of crop loss due to insect pest attack in tropical and sub-tropical Africa are highlighted. Reliable evaluation techniques for establishing relation between insect pest intensity/damage and crop loss are outlined. Natural insect pest infestation in the field, manipulation of pest infestation with chemicals, caging to confine or keep out insect pests and the use of resistant varieties as methods of estimating on-farm losses due to insects are discussed. In tropical Africa, the major constraint to the determination of crop loss due to insect pests of rice is research-related.

University training of entomologists, especially taxonomists in tropical Africa is examined. It is concluded that generally the education of entomologists in the subregion is very poor. Teachers with correct training and orientation are either lacking or when available do not receive the necessary incentives for effective teaching. Supporting facilities for academic work are either missing or where present have deteriorated to the extent of being almost useless. The situation is thought unlikely to improve in the foreseeable future. It has been suggested that international institutions in Africa concerned with the proper progress and development of Insect Science should take steps to organize a comprehensive master's degree programme in entomology along the Rivers State University of Science and Technology curriculum pattern. Alternatively, the duration of the Ph.D. course work may be increased to 9 months as suggested in the paper. This should help to produce at least some educated entomologists and hopefully some taxonomists for the continent.