The larvae of Mussidia nigrivenella Ragonot, attack various fruits; it is the main maize cob borer in Ivory Coast. The development of attack during the cultivation, the behaviour of larvae in the field, the spatial distribution of eggs and larvae, the mortality of pre-imaginal instars and the annual fluctuations of populations are considered in this paper. This insect may represent an economical problem for seed producers in the south of the savannah area of Ivory Coast where its density exceeded 14 insects per cob, at harvest in 1984, whereas the risk of cob damaging by Mussidia nigrivenella appears to be very weak in the north and west of this region.

Mussidia nigrivenella Ragonot is the main cob borer of maize in Ivory Coast. An accurate description of male and female genitalia is given. Rearing in the laboratory has permitted determination of the number and duration of the pre-imaginal instars, fecundity of adults and fertility of eggs as also the sex-ratio. An artificial diet has been elaborated which provides conditions of similar development to those observed in the field: The insect has 5 to 6 larval instars and the total duration of development from the egg-laying to the adult emergence is 46 days for the male and 49 days for the female.