Market survey and laboratory experiments were conducted to obtain more reliable estimates of cowpea weight loss caused by individual
Callosobruchus maculatus
. In both the market survey and laboratory experiments, a highly significant inverse linear relationship existed between
C. maculatus feeding/emergence holes and cowpea weight loss (P<0.001, linear correlation coefficients (
r) = -0.322,-0.959, and -0.921, for the market survey, laboratory experiments 1 and 2, respectively). Cowpea weight losses were 0.026g, 0.015g, and 0.016g per individual
C. maculatus in the market survey, laboratory experiments 1 and 2, respectively while the highest number of
C. maculatus feeding/emergence holes was 188, 1669, and 2028 per 200 cowpea seeds for the market survey, laboratory experiments 1 and 2, respectively. This is an important component in the establishment of an Economic Injury Level (EIL) for
C. maculatus on
V. unguiculata. @JASEM
