EFFECT OF BROAD BEAN VARIETIES AND FABA BEAN UPON POPULATIONS DYNAMIC OF BRUCHUS RUFIMANUS (COLEOPTERA: CHRYSOMELIDAE: BRUCHINAE) IN KABYLIA REGION (ALGERIA)

The present study aimed to examine the process and conditions of broad bean Bruchid B. rufimanus infestation in the field in Kabylia region (Algeria). B. rufimanus adults colonized progressively the cultures of Aguadulce variety and faba bean at the beginning of the flowering period, while it colonized Seville variety culture during the flowering period. This colonization seemed to depend upon climatic factors and host plant phenology. The presence of adults in plots spanned about 5 weeks for Aguadulce variety, 6 for faba bean and 4 weeks for Seville variety. At the end of the flowering period, the number of adults decreased whereas the number of mature pods increased for all plots. The egg-laying was spread over a period of approximately 8 and 7 weeks for Aguadulce and Seville varieties respectively and 6 for faba bean. Females seemed to deposit their eggs randomly on the available young pods and old pods of each host. Our results showed also that the varieties act significantly on the rate of infestation by B. rufimanus females on V. faba plots studied.