The pod-sucking bug Clavigralla tomentosicollis Sta˚l is the most important insect pest associated with cowpea in Africa and Burkina Faso, which causes seed malformation and destruction. The nutritional quality and physical structure, which vary according to the development stage of the pods, could have an impact on the biology of the bug. This laboratory study carried out at Kamboinse´ research station in Burkina Faso aimed at evaluating the effect of rearing the bug on three different types (young pods without grains, pods in filling stage and mature pods) of cowpea var. KVx 396-4-5-2-D, on the biology of C. tomentosicollis. The bug larvae were also fed on pod shells alone and on grains alone to identify which part and which stage of the pod would be most appropriate for bug growth and development. A qualitative chemical analysis of the shells and the grains was conducted to determine the compounds that might have an impact on insect growth in relation to the pod development stage. The best performances of larva and adult growth were recorded when the larvae were fed on pods in the filling stage. Most larvae fed on young pods extended their development period and died before completing the development cycle. Mature pods were less suitable for larval growth. Chemical analysis revealed that, compared to pods in filling stage, both the shells and the grains of mature pods contained antitrypsin and cyanogenetic heterosids (only in grains), hence their toxicity against the insect. It is recommended that control measures should target the filling stage, which is most susceptible to the bug damage.