First report of Pagiocerus frontalis in Tanzania and in Africa
The bark beetle Pagiocerus frontalis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae – EU quarantine pest as ‘non-European Scolytinae’) is a species native to South and Central America up to the south-eastern USA. P. frontalis has been associated with avocado (Persea americana) seeds and is known as a pest of stored maize (Zea mays). P. frontalis is reported for the first time in Tanzania and in the continent of Africa.
In December 2018, P. frontalis was detected infesting stored maize in Usa River ward (Meru district, Arusha region). The pest was identified by morphological and molecular testing. Laboratory rearing studies determined that P. frontalis can feed on maize and avocado seeds and cause an average grain weight loss of about 17 % and grain damage of 10 % of stored maize two months post-harvest. The current distribution in Tanzania has not yet been determined but the authors recommended a national survey. More research is needed to determine the host preference, biology, ecology, distribution and management of P. frontalis.
The situation of Pagiocerus frontalis in Tanzania can be described as: Present, not widely distributed.
Sources
Chidege MY, Ndakidemi PA, Venkataramana PB (2026) First record of Pagiocerus frontalis (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) in stored maize in Africa. Zootaxa 5793(1), 184–192.
Chidege MY, Venkataramana PB, Ndakidemi PA (2026) The invasive bark beetle, Pagiocerus frontalis (Fabricius): as an emerging maize storage pest in Tanzania. Frontiers in Plant Science 17, 1746978. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2026.1746978