The bruchid beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus, is an important pest of cowpeas in both field and storage situations. The species is extraordinarily variable in nearly every aspect of its behavior and life history. In this collaborative research project, entomologists in the U.S. and Nigeria will characterize genetic variation in life history features among Nigerian samples of this beetle. The aim is to apply a measurement protocol developed by the U.S. researcher, Dr. Rodger Mitchell, of the Ohio State University, to African populations with which the Nigerian researcher, Dr. T. I. Ofuya, of the Federal University of Technology, in Akure, is familiar. The joint research will address such basic questions about the life history strategies of feral populations of this species as: Are the populations similar over broad areas or do local adaptations evolve as easily as the traits change in laboratory experiments? This first full scale description of the feral biotypes of the species will provide information on the capacity of local populations to evolve new traits and adapt to new hosts. That information will be useful in identifying the way resistant varieties affect the life table of the beetle and in considering the rationality of biological controls. This research promises important contributions to the basic ecological science community in identifying patterns of variability and improving understanding of the basic information needed to consider how bionomic variability evolved. The combination of scientific interest and potential application to an important concern of developing countries, satisfies the criteria of mutual benefit in research partnership, and enhancement of science and engineering infrastructure of the Science in Developing Countries program.
