A bad conservation of food is recognized as being one of the critical constraints upon food security among resource poor population across Africa. We have evaluated the traditional management of pests in fish in Central African Republic. The data were analyzed by a factor analysis of correspondence. The Group I contained sensitive species of fish to the attacks of Dermetes frishii, Dermetes lardarius and Dermestes carnivorus. There were: Labeocoubie, Mormyrus deliciosus, Polydactylus quadrifilis, Auchenoglanis occidentalis, Synodontis nigrita, Hydrocynus forskalli, Districhodus rostratus, Hydrocynus goliath and Mormyrusrume. The group II contained sensitive species of fishes to the attacks of D. maculatus. There were: Cyprinus carpio, Malapterurus electricus, Oreochromis mossambicus, Barbus occidentalis and Oreochromis mossambicus. Clariasgariecilus is the mostsensitive of dried fish to the attacks of Dermestes. Oreochromis mossambicus, Mormyrusrume and Synodontis nigrita are the last sensitive of dried fish to the attacks of Dermestes. The results showed that the tradictional management of dried fish in Central African Republic couldn’t be efficient for reducing the development of Dermestes.
Fish are one of the major sources of protein that can significantly improve the livelihood of the rural poor and increase foreign exchange earnings for many African countries [
The genus of Dermetes is a commercial pest as well as a household pest. The use of refrigeration, the purchase of meats in small quantities, and the lack of home curing of meats, have decreased the economic importance of this insect [
The Central African Republic is situated just north of the Equator with daily temperatures normally reaching at least 30 degrees Celsius. Bangui (
A questionnaire validated by Teachers-Researchers of the University of Bangui was focused on the traditional technique for conserving of fish. The questionnaire had two parts: the description of fishes and pests management. On the basis of local names; the fish are fitted, photographed fish and samples collected and authenticated by the researchers of the Forestry and Water Ministry of CAR.
In each Administration area, 20 to 30 infected dried fish were collected in different markets since August to October 2014. In the traditional method, the wood heater produces the energy for drying fish.
A questionnaire was prepared and used as a tool for the collection of information with 224 sellers in the different markets of Bangui. The questionnaire focused on the traditional practices for dried fish against pests. On the basis of local names of fish and insects, the samples were collected for the identification of species names by the
Teacher-Researchers of University of Bangui. D. maculatus, D. frishii, D. lardarius and D. carnivorus were collected on 20 species of fish (
A factorial analysis of correspondence with the software R (R version 2.15.1) was used to identify the relation between species of dried fish and species of insects. Diagrams were also constructed to evaluate the specific abundance per insects and the dried fish used.
Fish’ species | Codification |
---|---|
Protopterus annectens | Pa |
Auchenoglanis occidentalis | Ao |
Mormyrus rume | Mr |
Distichodus mossambicus | Dm |
Mormyrus deliciosus | Md |
Labeo coubie | Lc |
Oreochromis mossambicus | Om |
Barbus occidentalis | Bo |
Hydrocynus forskalli | Hf |
Malapterurus electricus | Me |
Clarotes laticeps | Cl |
Districhodus rostratus | Dr |
Clarias gariecilus | Cg |
Lutjanu ssp | Ls |
Synodontis nigrita | Sn |
Gnatonemus tamandua | Gt |
Polydactylus quadrifilis | Pq |
Channa obscuris | Co |
Cyprinus carpio | Cc |
Hydrocynus goliath | Hg |
The eigen values of the principal axes extracted from the factor analysis of correspondence indicated that the first two factors explained 80% of the matrix dried fish/Insects species information (
The group II contained sensitive species of fish to the attacks of D. maculatus. There were: Cyprinuscarpio, Malapterurus electricus, Oreochromis mossambicus, Barbus occidentalis and Oreochromis mossambicus.
The worked hypothesis was that the traditional management of dried fish in CAR could or not promote the
development of the insects of the genus Dermestes. The study was performed on 20 dried fish species. Ten days after the livestock development, insect larvae have emerged in the various jars and two types of morphologically different larvae were identified. Some larvae are brown and have hair less developed unlike others that are black and carry a lot of well-developed hairs and showed that the larvae of insects Dermestes kind are hairy [
On the 30 g of each species of dried fish weighed for some species almost half was consumed by Dermestes, for others more than half. Nutrition of larvae and adults of Dermestes spp. causes considerable quantitative loss of dried fish and fragmentation [
Beetles of the genus Dermestes L. have long been recognized as pests of animal products, particularly hides and skins. The annual loss caused by Dermestes attack on hides and skins in South Africa amounted was estimated to £ 750,000 [
Oreochromis mossambicus, Mormyrus rume and Synodontis nigrita are the most sensitive of dried fish to the attacks of Dermestes in our work.
After twenty-one (21) days, observing the microscope reveals the presence of nymphs. This would be a chrysalis or pupa mummy. The appendices are glued to the body. They appear whitish, motionless, locked in a cocoon with appendices glued to the body.
Some works [
From 31 days after the livestock development, adult insects begin to emerge. Adults who have emerged are of two types. There are differences in their color, shape and mobility, but all have a pair of antenna, three pairs of legs, two pairs of wings according the key of identification [
The results showed that the traditional management of dried fish in Central African Republic could be efficient for some dried fish as Oreochromis mossambicus, Mormyrus rume and Synodontis nigrita but not for another species as Clariasgariecilus. The traditional management of dried fish in Central African Republic couldn’t reduce the development of some species of Dermestes (D. carnivorus, D. frischii, D. maculatus).
The authors are grateful to Dr. Serge-FlorentBolevane, Head of the division of Life Sciences in Faculty of Sciences of University of Bangui and Dr. SillaSemballa, Director of the Laboratory of Biological and Agronomical Sciences for Development for providing facilities and materials to conduct this study. Our sincere thank also to Dr. Namkosséréna Salomon, Executive Thief of Regional Pole of Applied Research to Development Farming Systems in Central Africa for its contribution.