the wild fig Ficus sur. Since 1996 he has been involved in the biological control of invasive alien plants, and in particular Chromolaena odorata, an asteraceous shrub originating in the Neotropics which is widely invasive across Africa.

Costas previously (2007-2014) acted as Convenor of the IOBC-Global Working Group on this weed, and from 2014-2018 he was the Vice-President of the newly reconstituted IOBC-ATRS. He is Officer-in-Charge at ARC’s Plant Health and Protection laboratory at Cedara, and an Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Life Sciences of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

of insect predators, parasitoids and entomopathogenic fungi, against fall armyworm and Nedopeta curta, a putative vector of the phytoplasma responsible of the lethal yellowish disease of coconut in Côte d’Ivoire.

He was the Treasurer of the executive committee of the International Organization of Biological Control, Afro-tropical section (2014-2018). Current Responsible of the Master Crop Protection at University Nangui Abrogoua, he has been fully involved in four major projects in Côte d’Ivoire. In 2016, he led a project on the development of the plan and training modules for national laboratory staff (8 countries) in the regional plan for fruit flies monitoring and control in West Africa.

He has produced 30 publications. He collaborates with researchers from several institutions such as Royal Museum of Central Africa (Belgium), Saint Xavier’s College (India), Sporometrics (Canada), Canadian National Collection of Insects (CNC), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

at, Wageningen Agricultural University, Wageningen the Netherlands and his PhD in Entomology at University of Gezira, Wad-Medani, Sudan.

Samira was the first African investigator to evaluate the efficiency of the indigenous African parasitoid species, especially in the genus Psyttalia, against the native African fruit flies. She carried out this study within the framework of the USDA funded project “African Tephritidae: Invasive Species Threatening U.S. Fruit & Vegetable Products” a research seeking to identify an efficient parasitoid for controlling C. capitata in US. Following the invasion of the African continent by the most devastating fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (initially described as B. invadens), which virtually crippled the fruit industry in Africa, Samira has been in the forefront in the classical biological control program targeting this pest. This program entailed introduction, evaluation and subsequent release of two efficient parasitoid species (Fopius arisanus and Diachasmimorpha longicaudata in Kenya and other African countries (which was spearheaded by Samira). Currently, the parasitoid is well established in several countries across the continent with up to 40% parasitism (in Kenya) on the target pest, thereby contributing to the suppression of this pest. Within a framework of a collaborative research project with international institutions, she also spearheaded the introduction of an efficient parasitoid from South America for classical biological control of Tuta absoluta, a destructive alien pest of tomato. Also, she is currently evaluating indigenous parasitoid species for their performance against Fall armyworm.

Samira acted as Vice-President 2 for the period 2014-2018 for IOBC-ATRS.

She has authored and co-authored over 60 peer reviewed articles. She is also a co-editor of the recently published book titled “Fruit Fly Research and Development in Africa: Towards a Sustainable Management Strategy to Improve Horticulture” (http://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-43226-7).

involving cassava, Manihot esculenta, the cassava green mite, Mononychellus tanajoa and two predatory mites, Typhodromalus aripo and Typhrodromalus manihoti. From 1987 to 2008, he worked on diverse aspects of IPM of some major cassava pests and diseases in Africa.

From 2009 to date, his main research interests have been on the monitoring, ecology, classical biological control of the Oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis and development of integrated programs for managing tephritid fruit flies on fruit trees and fruit vegetables in West Africa, within a framework of a collaborative research project with the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe).

Over the last 4 years, he has been involved in a collaborative research project on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB) with HarvestPlus managed from the headquarters at IITA-Ibadan, Nigeria. The focus here is on development and promotion, leading to the adoption of the yellow-fleshed cassava varieties. Désiré actively served as Secretary General in the Executive Committee of the Entomological Society of the Republic of Benin (SERB), from 2014 to 2017.