Inventory and Abundance of Sap-Sucking Insects on Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in a peri-urban production area of Bouaké, according to phenological stage and spatial arrangement

Infestation of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) by sap-sucking insects constitutes a major constraint to vegetable production in sub-Saharan Africa. This study documents, for the first time under peri-urban conditions in Bouaké, the abundance and spatial structure of three key pests, Aphis gossypii, Bemisia tabaci, and Amrasca biguttula, in relation to phenological stage (flowering and fruiting) and experimental block, using a completely randomized block design. Sixty plants of the Saira F1 variety, arranged in two blocks (A and B), five rows, and three plants per row, were monitored in January and February 2026. Shapiro-Wilk tests confirmed the non-normality of the distributions (p < 0.0001), justifying the use of non-parametric Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Jassids (Amrasca biguttula, 28.3% of infested plants) and whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci, 25.0%) dominated the pest community, while aphids (Aphis gossypii) remained marginal (1.7%). No significant differences were observed among phenological stages for any of the three species. However, jassid abundance was significantly higher in Block B than in Block A (p = 0.010), revealing spatial heterogeneity likely linked to microclimatic conditions or plot management. No significant correlation was detected between species (Spearman's test, p > 0.05). These findings highlight the need to strengthen monitoring of jassid population levels in vegetable crops in the peri-urban zone of Bouaké.