Toxicity and Deleterious Impacts of the Deathstalker Scorpion, Leiurus quinquestriatus, Venom on Development of the Greater Wax Moth, Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.

2 Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

The greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is the most destructive pest of the honey bee, Apis mellifera, throughout the world. The current study was carried out to evaluate the toxicity and disruptive effects ofthe venom of deathstalker scorpion, Leiurus quinquestriatus (Buthidae: Scorpiones) on the growth, development, and metamorphosis of this pest. The newly moulted 3rd instar larvae were fed on an artificial diet treated with a series of venom concentrations (250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, and 8000 ppm). The present results could be summarized as follows. The venom exhibited considerable toxicity against larvae. Also, the pupae suffered a lethal action of the venom, in a dose-dependent course. In contrast, adult survival was not affected by the tested venom. The LC50 was calculated in 3428.9 ppm. With regard to growth and development, the somatic weight gain of larvae was slightly reduced proportionally to the concentration. The larval growth rate increasingly regressed by the ascending concentration. The larval duration was remarkably shortened, in a dose-dependent manner. The pupation rate of treated larvae was significantly regressed, in a dose-dependent course. Also, the pupal duration was shortened. Pupae lost more body water than control pupae. The venom failed to affect the metamorphosis program. 

Keywords

Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences. A, Entomology
Volume 13, Issue 4
December 2020
Pages 199-211

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics