Termites attacks and damage in a corossol crop (annona muricata, linné 1753) in m'brimbo (Côte D’ivoire)

The objective of this study is to evaluate termite attacks and damages in corossol orchards in M'Brimbo (Southern Côte d'Ivoire). Sampling was done on 538 corossol trees using the Transect method over an area of 5000 m2. The work focused on the collection of termites at the level of the litter and the trunks of trees up to 1.5 m in height. Then, the damages caused on corossol plantation were evaluated. The results showed that the primary forest contained more diverse termite population with 15 species compared to the corossol plantation (8 species). Six (6) species common to both environments were identified.These are Ancistrotermes guineensis and cavithorax, Macrotermes subhyalinus and belicosus, Microtermes thoracalis and Pseudacanthotermes militaris. The main trophic groups responsible for the damage are the Fungus growers and the Wood-feeders. The group of Fungus growers is the most represented with 6 species. The quantitative study of the damages allowed us to identify four (4) types of damages observed on the corossol trees. Out of 538 trees observed, an infestation rate of 89.77% was recorded. Type 1 (DT1) damage recorded the highest rate with a percentage of 55.68. With a high attack rate on corossol trees, this fruit tree deserves special attention at the phytosanitary level in order to reduce yield losses.