Bruchidae Related to Grain Legumes in the Afro-Tropical Area

Abstract

The taxonomy of Bruchidae has long been neglected. Establishing the precise identity of species of economic interest has been and still is often a problem for the non-specialist entomologist. The determiner’s work is made more complex by the vagueness of description of known species, the frequent lack of evident external characters, the uniform shape and colour of many species, the polymorphism of some of them, and the easily introduced exotic forms. It means that bibliographical data, mainly the early ones, are sometimes to be considered reservedly as far as the exact identity of the mentioned or studied Bruchidae is concerned.