LIFE CYCLE OF FORFICULA SENEGALENSIS SERV. (DERMAPTERA: FORFICULIDAE) AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF BULRUSH MILLET IN THE SUDANESE-SAHELIAN ZONE OF NIGER

AbstractThe reproduction of Forficula senegalensis Serv. was studied in fields of bulrush millet (Pennisetum typhoides Burm.), 40 km south of Maradi, Niger. Flight activity, as determined by light trapping, follows a seasonal cycle in two phases: first the arrival of adults of the previous year in the fields at the onset of tillering; and second, the dispersal of adults of the new generation at the time of blooming and maturation of the plant, and their departure at harvest time. Females lay their eggs at the collar of the plants during tillering; hatching and nymphal dispersal occur soon afterward. From the second instar on, nymphs migrate to the intermediate and upper levels of the plant. The reproductive cycle of F. senegalensis thus appears closely synchronized with the development of bulrush millet.