Population Dynamic of Hilda Cameroonensis Tamesse & Dongmo (Tettigometridae) Pest of Vernonia amygdalina Delile in Yaoundé-Cameroon

Vernonia amygdalina Delile commonly called bitter leaf is a perennial shrub that belongs to the family of Asteraceae and grows throughout tropical Africa. It is probably the most used medicinal plant in the genus Vernonia. Insect pests caused serious damages on the leaves. In Cameroon, a new species of Hilda genus (Tettigometridae) was reported and described recently, Hilda cameroonensis Tamesse & Dongmo, for the first time on V. amygdalina. This insect caused leaves to shrivel. The population dynamic of that pest species was conducted in a natural farm, in the Yaounde Region, from November 2014 to October 2016. During the study, eggs, larvae, and adults were surveyed and counted once a week. Seven different generations of H. cameroonensis were recorded during the first years and six during the second years. The pest population was correlated with climatic parameters, mostly with relative humidity, temperature, wind speed, and rainfall. The main factors influencing the numerical fluctuation of the pest, and the outbreak periods of each of the developmental stages of the pest in the Yaounde region will be take into consideration by the integrated pest management.