Impact of Temperature and Nutrient Medium on Confused Flour Beetle Development

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Medical Biology & Genetics, Medical Faculty, Near East University, North Cyprus.

2 Department of Entomology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.

Abstract

Tribolium confusum, commonly referred to as the confused flour beetle, is a widespread pest insect that commonly attacks and infests stored grain and flour. The present study aims to determine the growth of the larvae of the confused flour beetle, T. confusum, following feeding on wheat, barley, and yellow corn flour. The shortest duration and highest survival of the larvae were obtained after feeding them wheat flour. In contrast, the longest duration and least survival of the larvae were obtained after feeding on yellow corn flour. There was no definite pattern to the effect of the type of flour on the duration of pupae at the different temperatures (15, 27, 35°C). The highest survival of pupae was obtained after feeding larvae on wheat flour. However, the least survival was obtained after feeding larvae yellow corn flour. The larval and pulpal duration decreased with the increase in temperature from 15 to 35 °C. Contrariwise, the survival of larvae and pupae increased with the increase in temperature. It is clear that the maximum number that can be obtained for the developmental stages (larvae, pupae, and adult insects) from a similar clan of flour terns (T.confusum) under practical conditions is that the larvae are raised on wheat flour and kept at a temperature of 35°C until the adult stages of the insect emerge.

Keywords

Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences. A, Entomology
Volume 17, Issue 1
March 2024
Pages 141-152

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