Impacts of Storicide II on internal feeders of Brown rice

Protectants applied to grain can reduce damage caused by insect feeding during storage. Although these protectants are effective against many external feeders, they may also reduce damage caused by internal feeders as they often interact with the exterior surface of the grain during their larval or adult stages to feed or oviposit. For this study, we investigated impacts of Storicide® II applied to brown rice on three different internal feeders: Rhyzopertha dominica (Fauvel), Sitophilus oryzae (L.), and Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier). We also investigated the effects of this protectant at three different temperatures and when it was combined with different percentages of untreated brown rice. Time-series clustering was also performed to determine whether treatments caused disruptions to the timing of progeny emergence. Overall, R. dominica was the most susceptible as mortality and knockdown were observed in mixtures containing 10% treated brown rice. In contrast, S. cerealella was the least susceptible as mixtures containing at least 50–75% treated brown rice were required to reduce progeny production. However, lowering the temperature to 22 °C did reduce the amount of treated brown rice required to reduce progeny emergence and also reduced the number of progeny that emerged synchronously, which would likely reduce mating and reduce population levels over time. Similar effects on progeny were observed for S. oryzae and R. dominica. Overall, these findings suggest that Storicide II can reduce population levels of internal feeders and that combining this protectant with cooler temperatures can provide additional protection.     

Evaluation of a new insecticide formulation (F2) as a protectant of stored wheat, maize, and rice

A new commercial formulation, F2, was evaluated as a protectant of stored wheat, stored maize, and stored rough (paddy) rice. This formulation comprises the technical active ingredients 0.03% deltamethrin, 0.37% piperonyl butoxide, and 0.95% chlorpyriphos-methyl, plus 10% mineral oil and 88.0% of the diatomaceous earth Protect-It^®. Tests were conducted with dust and slurry formulations at 50 and 100 ppm, 57% and 75% relative humidity, and 22°C, 27°C, and 32°C. On wheat, survival of the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), ranged from 0% to 30.0%, survival of the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.), was 0-6.2%, and survival of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), was 0-97.5%. Few F₁ adults of any of the three species were found in the treated samples. Survival of the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais (Motschulsky), on treated corn was 0-32.5%, while survival of T. castaneum was 0-88.7% in the 50-ppm dust and slurry treatments, and 0-51.4% in the 100-ppm treatments. Again, few F₁ adults of either species were found in treated maize. Survival of R. dominica on treated rough rice averaged 0-4.1% and survival of S. oryzae on treated rice was 0-48.8%, but the majority of weevils that survived were in one replicate. F₁ adults in the treatments ranged from 0 to 24.4. Results show that the combination insecticidal product F2 was extremely effective on all three commodities at the rate of 100 ppm, as either a dust or slurry, and could be used as a commodity protectant.     

Efficacy of diatomaceous earth and methoprene, alone and in combination, against Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) in rough rice

Combination treatments of diatomaceous earth (DE) (Protect-It^®) and the insect growth regulator (IGR) methoprene (Diacon^® II) were evaluated against Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), the lesser grain borer, on stored rough rice. Application rates of DE and methoprene ranged from 0 to 500 ppm and 0 to 1 ppm, respectively, in 25 treatment combinations. Tests were conducted by exposing 20 adults for 2 weeks at 32 °C and 75% relative humidity on single varieties of long-, short-, and medium-grain rough rice, removing adults, and holding the rice for 8 weeks at the same conditions to collect F₁ progeny. In the absence of methoprene, mortality of exposed adults increased as the concentration of DE increased, but even at the highest rate of 500 ppm, mortality was only 57.5±12% and 58.8±9.7% in long and medium-grain rice, respectively, and 26.3±4.7% in short-grain rice. Mortality of R. dominica exposed on short-grain rice was lower than mortality on long-and medium-grain rice at several combinations with 375 and 500 ppm DE. There was also an unexpected increase in adult mortality with the addition of methoprene so that at 1 ppm methoprene and 500 ppm DE, mortality in long-, medium-, and short-grain rice was 77.5±9.0%, 77.5±10.0%, and 58.5±3.0%, respectively. In the absence of methoprene, progeny produced on long- and short-grain rice ranged from 48.0±21.2 to 87.2±9.0, compared to 16.5±5.5 to 33.5±8.6 progeny produced on medium-grain rice. With the inclusion of methoprene there were few progeny produced in any of the treatment combinations, and the overall average was 0.6±0.3. Similarly, with no methoprene the range of insect-damaged kernels (IDK) was 5.2±2.7 to 12.2±3.1%, but with methoprene the overall average was reduced to 1.8±0.2%. While control of R. dominica was somewhat limited with DE, the differences among rice varieties seems to indicate that the specific type and possibly variety of rough rice may influence mortality and reproduction of R. dominica exposed to DE. With methoprene, progeny production was greatly suppressed regardless of DE concentration, but combining DE with methoprene would give some measure of adult control.     

Effect of uneven distribution of spinetoram-treated wheat and rice on mortality and progeny production of Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), Sitophilus oryzae (L.) and Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val

Laboratory bioassays were carried out in order to evaluate the effectiveness of spinetoram on rice and wheat in layer and mixture treatment applications against three major stored-grain beetle species, Rhyzopertha dominica, Sitophilus oryzae and Tribolium confusum. Spinetoram was applied at 1 ppm (1 mg/kg of grain). In the layer treatment the grain was placed in vials (8 cm high, 3 cm in diameter); in those vials there was five categories of grain: untreated (control), totally-treated, and with the upper 1/8, 1/4 and 1/2 treated. Also, there were two categories of insect introduction: before or after the grain placement. In the mixture treatment, the vials contained 20 g of grain divided into six categories: vials that contained untreated grain (control) and vials that contained 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100% treated grains. Mortality was assessed after 14 d for both treatments but with an intermediate 7-d assessment for the mixture treatment. After this interval, all adults were removed, and progeny production was measured 65 d later. From the species tested, R. dominica was by far the most susceptible in both treatments. Generally, in the layer treatment, mortality of R. dominica reduced with the size of the treated layer in the vials. Also, mortality was significantly lower when the exposed R. dominica adults had been placed before the introduction of the grain. For S. oryzae, mortality was lower in comparison with R. dominica and in general, mortality was lower on rice than on wheat, even in the case of totally-treated grains. Survival of T. confusum was considerably higher than both R. dominica and S. oryzae. In the mixture treatment, mortality of R. dominica was 82–100% after 14 d of exposure. Again mortality was considerably lower on rice than on wheat. For S. oryzae, mortality was higher in vials containing totally-treated or 50% treated kernels, in comparison with the other treatments. Progeny production of R. dominica in the layer treatment increased with the reduction of the treated layer for both commodities. In contrast, for S. oryzae, there were no differences in progeny production counts between treated and untreated grains, with the exception of totally-treated wheat. In the mixture treatment progeny production increased with the reduction of the percentage of the treated grains, but there were considerable differences between wheat and rice. The overall results suggest that spinetoram is very effective against R. dominica, moderately effective against S. oryzae, and not very effective against T. confusum. Uneven application of spinetoram may, under certain circumstances, provide satisfactory control of R. dominica.     

Impact of Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) on quality parameters of milled rice

The impact of Rhyzopertha dominica, the lesser grain borer, on milling quality of Francis and Wells cultivars of rough rice was assessed for the 2007 and 2008 crop years by infesting 200-g rough rice samples harvested at moderate and low moisture contents with 0, 10, 25, 50, and 100 parental adult insects, which were removed after one week. The samples were incubated for seven weeks at either 27 or 32 °C and 60% relative humidity to determine progeny production and feeding damage (insect frass), and subsequently the milled rice yield (MRY) and head rice yield (HRY). Progeny production from each parental density level varied with variety and temperature. The number of progeny produced by the parental adults was positively correlated with feeding damage, and the feeding damage caused by the progeny was in turn negatively correlated with MRY and HRY. For both years, more progeny production and feeding damage occurred in Francis versus Wells for each of the harvest moisture contents. Results show differential susceptibility of Francis and Wells cultivars to R. dominica, and also provide new methodologies for evaluating effects of infestation on rice milling quality.     

Assessment of Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) progeny and feeding damage on rice dried with infrared radiation

Infrared radiation (IR) is a method of drying grains that eliminates insect and microbial pests. It is unknown if IR could cause grains to be more susceptible to insects. Thus, the effects of IR on Rhyzopertha dominica development and feeding damage using long-grain rice varieties, Clearfield XL745 (hybrid) and CL152 (pureline), were examined. Rough rice was dried with three IR intensities: 2.15, 2.83, and 10.84 kW/m². The number of progeny developed, feeding damage, and frass weight after IR-drying were compared with air-drying methods for rough rice and rice milled to brown rice after drying. Since R. dominica develop internally, X-ray technology was used to examine internal progeny and feeding damage. Progeny development and kernel damage appeared to be more affected by fraction (brown rice) than the cultivar of rice or intensity of IR used, with more progeny produced on brown rice than rough rice. An IR intensity of 10.84 kW/m² increased the number of overall progeny, the amount of adults, and frass produced on CL152 brown rice. An intensity of 10.84 kW/m² also increased the amount of larvae observed for both varieties and fractions. The intensity of 10.84 kW/m², under the conditions of this study, is not recommended for drying rice.     

Susceptibility of varieties of stored rough rice to losses caused by storage insects

Losses caused by Sitophilus oryzae (L.), Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), and Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) in 6 commercial varieties of rough rice from the Southern United States were assessed as weight loss of rough rice, loss of milling yield, and loss of monetary value. Over 3 insect generations, S. oryzae caused the least damage, probably because this species requires grains with gross hull defects and the proportion of such grains was relatively small. Damage attributable to S. cerealella or R. dominica was approximately equal. The varieties Vista and Lebonnet were the most susceptible and the variety Dawn the most resistant after 3 generations.     

Effects of Cry1F and Cry34Ab1/35Ab1 on storage pests

Two crystalline protoxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), Cry1Fa1 and Cry34Ab1/Cry35Ab1 (Cry1F, Cry34/35Ab1), were evaluated for efficacy against lepidopteran and coleopteran storage pests. Cry1F was tested against the lepidopterans Sitotroga cerealella (Angoumois grain moth) and colonies of Plodia interpunctella (Indian mealmoth) that are susceptible or resistant to Bt Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac toxins, Bt subspecies entomocidus, and the commercial formulation Dipel^®. Cry1F was also tested against the coleopterans Cryptolestes pusillus (flat grain beetle) and Tribolium castaneum (red flour beetle). Cry34/35Ab1 was tested against S. cerealella, C. pusillus, and T. castaneum, and against additional coleopteran storage pests, including Tenebrio molitor (yellow mealworm), Trogoderma variabile (warehouse beetle), Oryzaephilus surinamensis (sawtoothed grain beetle), Rhyzopertha dominica (lesser grain borer), and Sitophilus oryzae (rice weevil). Strains of Bt-susceptible or -resistant P. interpunctella generally were more sensitive to Cry1A protoxin or toxin than either Cry1F protoxin or Dipel. Despite difficulties with the bioassay of S. cerealella larvae, the data suggest that Cry1F and Cry34/35Ab1 caused increased larval mortality, and a developmental delay was observed and no pupae emerged with 0.9% Cry1F. Neither Cry1F nor the corn rootworm-active toxin Cry34/35Ab1 significantly affected the biological parameters of the coleopteran species evaluated.     

Hull characteristics as related to susceptibility of different varieties of rough rice to Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae)

Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), an important pest of stored grains, causes economic damage to rough rice through physical damage to the kernel, resulting in reductions in grain quality. In this test, 28 varieties of commercial rough rice (10 long grain, 11 medium grain, and 7 short grain) were examined for solid, split and cracked hulls, hull thickness, and adult emergence from neonate R. dominica introduced on each individual variety. The percentage of solid hulls ranged from 55.5% on Koshihikari variety to 92.8% on Akita variety, and the percentages of cracked and split hulls were correlated with increased susceptibility. The Dobie index for progeny production showed Wells, Jupiter, and Pirogue varieties as the most tolerant to R. dominica, while Rico and Francis were the most susceptible. The hull thickness of rough rice varied among varieties, but the tolerant varieties appeared to have thicker hulls than the susceptible varieties. There was no difference among rice types (long-, medium-, or short grain) regarding tolerance or susceptibility to R. dominica. Results show that the characteristics of the rough rice hull are important for conferring susceptibility of individual varieties to R. dominica.     

Responses of phosphine susceptible and resistant strains of five stored-product insect species to chlorine dioxide

Adults of phosphine susceptible laboratory strains and phosphine resistant field strains of five stored-product insect species were exposed in vials with 0 or 10 g of wheat for different time periods to 0.54 g/m³ (200 ppm) of chlorine dioxide gas. After exposure, adult mortality was determined 5 d later at 28 °C and 65% r.h. The 5-d mortality was 100% in laboratory and field strains of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst); sawtoothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.); lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.); maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky; and rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.) that were exposed in vials with 10 g of wheat to chlorine dioxide for 26, 16, 24–34, 18–24, and 15–18 h, respectively. Corresponding exposure durations for these species and strains in vials without wheat were 15, 3, 18–20, 7–15, and 5–7 h, respectively. Dosages of chlorine dioxide producing 99% mortality (LD₉₉) of T. castaneum, O. surinamensis, R. dominica, S. zeamais, and S. oryzae strains in vials with wheat ranged from 14.79−22.57, 8.20–8.41, 15.79–21.60, 10.66–14.53, and 7.67–12.20 g-h/m³, respectively. In vials without wheat, corresponding LD₉₉ values for T. castaneum, R. dominica, and S. zeamais strains were 6.51–8.66, 11.46–23.17, and 5.79–10.26 g-h/m³, respectively. LD₉₉ values for O. surinamensis and S. oryzae could not be computed, because of 100% mortality after a 3–5 h exposure to chlorine dioxide. No adult progeny production of T. castaneum and O. surinamensis was observed after 8 weeks in control and chlorine dioxide-exposed samples. Adult progeny production of Sitophilus spp. was found only in the control samples. The dosage for 99% adult progeny reduction relative to control for R. dominica strains ranged from 10.07 to 18.11 g-h/m³. Chlorine dioxide gas is effective in killing phosphine susceptible and resistant strains of five stored-product insect species and suppressing adult progeny production of three out of the five species.     

Effectiveness of hermetic containers in controlling paddy rice (Oryza sativa L.) storage insect pests

Naturally infested paddy rice was used to compare the effectiveness of polypropylene bags and hermetic storage containers over 12 months of storage in a warehouse. Insect pest identification as well as the infestation level, percentage of damaged grain, weight loss, and moisture content were evaluated. Five insect species associated with stored rice were identified during the storage period, namely lesser grain borer (Rhyzopertha dominica), red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum), rice/maize weevil (Sitophilus spp.), angoumois grain moth (Sitotroga cerealella) and flat grain beetle (Cryptolestes ferrugineus). The lesser grain borer was the most predominant species with an average incidence above 70% after twelve months of storage, followed by the rice/maize weevil with an incidence of 17%. When compared to hermetic storage containers, polypropylene bag showed the highest mean infestation level with 233.3 individuals/kg after six months of storage, representing about 8-fold of the number of insects recorded in hermetic containers after six months of storage. In polypropylene container, the percentage of damaged grain and weight loss increased significantly achieving a maximum of 6.98% and 5.56% respectively, whereas using hermetic containers the highest percentage of damaged grain reached was 3.24% in polyethylene drum and the weight loss was 1.62% in GrainSafe bag. The results from the study show that the use of hermetic storage containers is a green alternative for safe storage of paddy rice, for 12 months without application of pesticides, bringing multiple advantages for smallholder farmers, lever food security and income generation for smallholder farmers and rice milling companies.     

Efficacy of diflubenzuron plus methoprene against Sitophilus oryzae and Rhyzopertha dominica in stored sorghum

The efficacy of diflubenzuron (1 mg kg⁻¹)+methoprene (1 mg kg⁻¹) against Sitophilus oryzae (L.) and Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) in sorghum was evaluated in a silo-scale trial in southeast Queensland, Australia. Sorghum is normally protected from a wide range of insects by mixtures of grain protectants. The chitin synthesis inhibitor diflubenzuron was evaluated as a potential new protectant for S. oryzae in combination with the juvenile hormone analogue methoprene, which is already registered for control of R. dominica. Sorghum (ca 200 t) was treated after harvest in 2000 and assessed for treatment efficacy and residue decline during 6.5 months storage. The reproductive capacity of S. oryzae and R. dominica was greatly reduced in bioassays of treated sorghum throughout the trial, and efficacy remained relatively stable during the trial. An initial exposure of S. oryzae adults to treated sorghum for 2 weeks reduced F₁ progeny production of all strains by 80.8-98.8%, but a second exposure of 4 weeks reduced F₁ progeny production by 98.5-100%. In addition, the reproductive capacity of any S. oryzae progeny produced was greatly reduced. Exposure of R. dominica adults to treated sorghum for 2 weeks reduced F₁ progeny production of all strains by 99.6-100%, including a methoprene-resistant strain. The results indicate that S. oryzae or R. dominica adults invading sorghum treated with diflubenzuron (1 mg kg⁻¹)+methoprene (1 mg kg⁻¹) would be incapable of producing sustainable populations.     

Performance of diatomaceous earth and imidacloprid as wheat,rice and maize protectants against four stored-grain insect pests

Laboratory experiments were conducted in Pakistan to investigate the effectiveness of the diatomaceous earth (DE) formulation, Protect-It, at 150 ppm and imidacloprid, at 1.25, 2.5 and 5.0 ppm, alone or in combination, against the rusty grain beetle, Cryptolestes ferrugineus Stephens (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae), the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae), the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) and the psocid, Liposcelis paeta Pearman (Psocoptera: Liposcelididae). The bioassays were conducted at 25 °C, 65% relative humidity (r.h.) and continuous darkness by using adults of each insect pest that were exposed on treated or untreated wheat, rice and maize. Adult mortality counts were performed 1, 2, 4 and 7 days post-exposure. Progeny production was also evaluated 62 and 30 days after the last mortality count for beetles and psocid respectively. Results showed that mortality was increased with the increase of dose and exposure interval. Imidacloprid was more effective at the highest dose than the DE alone. The combination of DE plus imidacloprid resulted to higher mortalities than DE or imidacloprid alone at almost all exposure intervals. There was higher mortality on wheat than on rice or maize. In general, T. castaneum was the most tolerant insect species to any treatment while L. paeta was the least tolerant. The highest progeny production was observed for T. castaneum (i.e., 33.1 individuals per vial) while the lowest for L. paeta (i.e., 11.1 individuals per vial) on maize treated with Protect-It alone. The findings of the current study indicate that the combined use of DE and imidacloprid, as wheat, rice and maize protectants, may provide adequate level of management to several important stored-product insects.     

Persistence and efficacy of indoxacarb against three stored product insect species on wheat and maize

In the present study, we investigated the insecticidal efficacy of indoxacarb on wheat and maize, against adults of three major stored-grain species, the rice weevil, Sitophilius oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae) and the confused flour beetle, Tribollium confusum Jacquelin Du Val (Coleoptera). For this purpose, bioassays were carried out with indoxacarb at the doses 0.1, 1 and 10 ppm. Moreover, the treated grains were left at the laboratory for a period of six months, in order to examine the residual effect of indoxacarb, by conducting bioassays at monthly intervals. For S. oryzae and R. dominica, adults were exposed in the treated grains for 7 and 14 d, while for T. confusum adults were exposed for 14 and 21 d, in order to estimate the mortality level. After the termination of this interval, the treated samples were left for an additional period of 65 days, on which progeny production was recorded. R. dominica was by far more susceptible than S. oryzae, given that mortality, in many cases, reached 100% even after 7 d of exposure, even at the lowest dose rate of 0.1 ppm. At the same time, for this species, progeny production was low. For S. oryzae, mortality was low at 0.1 ppm, with high levels of progeny production. T. confusum was the least susceptible of the species tested. Generally, during the experimental period, the efficacy of indoxacarb was decreased, but mortality was higher on wheat than on maize. Indoxacarb residues determination by GC-ECD indicated that after 6 months 33% of the insecticide remains in grains at 0.1 ppm dose, about 40–50% at 1 ppm and about 40–60% at 10 ppm dose. Based on the results of the present work, indoxacarb is an effective grain protectant, at least in the case of R. dominica and S. oryzae.     

Testing the consistency of spatio-temporal patterns of flight activity in the stored grain beetles Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) and Rhyzopertha dominica (F.)

Many studies have been published on the flight activity of stored grain beetles in temperate regions, but few have focussed on tropical and sub-tropical regions. The spatio-temporal patterns of flight activity of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) and Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) were quantified in a grain growing district on the Tropic of Capricorn in central Queensland, Australia. Nine traps baited with aggregation pheromone lures were monitored at 2-wk intervals (fortnightly) for 1 year along a 28.4 km linear transect that included sites at bulk grain depots and sites away from stored grain. Beetles of both species were trapped every fortnight during the study. The spatio-temporal patterns of flight activity differed greatly across the two species, as predicted from studies elsewhere. Rhyzopertha dominica was widespread across the landscape, as the mean trap catch of this species was equal in depot and non-depot traps. In contrast, T. castaneum was more frequently trapped in depot traps than non-depot traps during the colder months, but was much more widespread across the landscape during the summer months. Tribolium castaneum also showed a clear mid-summer peak in flight activity, whereas R. dominica flight activity was highly variable throughout the study. In general, our results reveal patterns that are consistent with those found for T. castaneum and R. dominica in southern Queensland. The contrasting spatio-temporal patterns of flight activity of R. dominica and T. castaneum show that species-specific approaches may be needed to manage these pests and that the spatio-temporal dynamics of resistance genes may differ across these species.     

Delayed mortality responses of Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) adults subjected to short exposures on spinosad-treated wheat

Laboratory studies were conducted to characterize post-exposure (delayed) mortality responses of adults of the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), following brief exposures to wheat treated with dry and liquid spinosad formulations at the labeled rate of 1 mg (a.i.) kg⁻¹ of grain. Exposure of R. dominica adults to a dry spinosad formulation at the labeled rate for 4 h resulted in 16–34% mortality. When these adults were placed on untreated wheat, post-exposure mortality continued to increase in a non-linear fashion, with 100% mortality observed at 60 h. Similarly, when R. dominica adults were exposed to wheat treated with a liquid spinosad formulation at the labeled rate for 0.5–48 h, 100% post-exposure mortality on untreated wheat occurred within 24–168 h. Exposure for 72 h resulted in 100% mortality on spinosad-treated wheat itself. There was an inverse relationship between exposure of adults to spinosad-treated wheat and time to 100% mortality on untreated wheat. These results suggested that short exposures (0.5–48 h) of R. dominica adults to wheat treated with the labeled rate of spinosad will ensure its complete control even after removal from treated grain. Adults of R. dominica which disperse to untreated grain after brief exposures to spinosad-treated wheat may eventually die because of delayed toxicity effects of spinosad against this economically important insect species.     

Distance and height of attraction by walking and flying beetles to traps with simultaneous use of the aggregation pheromones from Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) and Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae)

Adults of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) and Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) biosynthesize aggregation pheromones 4,8-dimethyldecanal and dominicalure-1/dominicalure-2, respectively. These pheromones are commonly used independently, and their simultaneous use has not been adequately studied. Furthermore, information on trapping flying R. dominica in pheromone traps is minimum. Therefore, the objectives were to evaluate distance of attraction of T. castaneum and R. dominica adults to traps having both pheromones, and height of R. dominica adult attraction to traps with its pheromone lure alone. In first experiment, both pheromones were deployed simultaneously inside a commercial pitfall trap. One-month-old 20 T. castaneum and R. dominica adults were released every 30 cm from the pheromone trap. The adults trapped were recorded at 4 and 24 h following their release. Adults of both species released were captured in higher percentages at 24 h than 4 h. At 30 cm distance, these values were 45.5% for T. castaneum and 10–12% for R. dominica for 24 h whereas they were 40.5% for T. castaneum and 5–7.5% for R. dominica following 4 h exposure. The maximum trap capture was at 30 cm for T. castaneum and 30–60 cm for R. dominica. In second experiment, a trap with two rubber septa containing dominicalure-1 and dominicalure-2 was placed at different heights inside cage, and R. dominica adults were released at the bottom. In each experiment, four replicates were tested. After 24 h, flying R. dominica adults were captured in progressively lower percentages as trap height increased up to 40 cm above the bottom of cage. Trap heights above 10 cm exhibited decreased trap capture of R. dominica compared to those at 3 cm. We conclude that simultaneous use of both aggregation pheromones better facilitates trapping of walking T. castaneum and R. dominica. Traps above 10 cm show decreased captures of flying R. dominica.     

Growth and development of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) on rice flour and brown rice as affected by time and temperature

Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), the red flour beetle, is a cosmopolitan stored product insect that infests a variety of raw grains and processed grain products. Although this pest is prevalent in rice mills, there is a comparative lack of data on growth and development on rice by-products and fractions compared to other grains. In this study, ten mixed-sex adults were exposed on 200 g of either rice flour or brown rice, and populations were assessed after 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 months at 22, 27, or 32 °C. At 22 °C, the number of adults, pupae and larvae on rice flour and brown rice remained low throughout the 12-month storage period. At 27 °C, the number of adults on rice flour increased to a maximum at 8 months, while adult populations on brown rice remained relatively constant from 2 to 10 months, with few pupae or larvae in the samples. At 32 °C, adult populations on rice flour and brown rice were constant after month 2, with low numbers of pupae and larvae. Adult predation could have accounted for low numbers of pupae and larvae. Using the original 10-month data, populations were projected for an additional 14 months to predict population patterns. Adult numbers showed an increase over time at all temperatures on rice flour and brown rice at 22 °C but numbers seemed to stabilize at 27 and 32 °C. For both diets at 27 and 32 °C, projected pupae and larvae numbers remained steady but low compared to adults. However, populations would not be expected to increase indefinitely because at some point the resources would become limited and populations would crash or decline. Results show T. castaneum can deplete fixed resources such as bags of rice flour or brown rice when temperatures equal or exceed 27 °C.     

Toxicity of coumaran to stored products beetles

The fumigant activity of coumaran was tested against mixed-age cultures of the rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae L.), the lesser grain borer (Rhyzopertha dominica F.), the rust-red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum Herbst), saw-toothed grain beetle (Oryzaephilus surinamensis L.) and flat grain beetle (Cryptolestes ferrugineus Stephens). T. castaneum was tolerant to coumaran, for total population extinction was achieved in 72 h exposure at 50 μg/L dose only. In contrast all developmental stages of O. surinamensis, C. ferrugineus and R. dominica were quite susceptible 100% mortality was attained at < 50 μg/L doses in 24 or 72 h exposure. Further results showed that T. castaneum, generally tolerant pest to fumigants and R. dominica, a predominant stored grain pest in India, could be controlled by coumaran. The findings indicate that, coumaran is good source for alternate to methylbromide for effective control of stored grain insect pests.     

Evaluation of six insecticides against adults and larvae of Trogoderma granarium Everts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) on wheat,barley, maize and rough rice

We evaluated the following six insecticides: cypermethrin, deltamethrin, pirimiphos-methyl, silicoSec, s-methoprene and spinosad, that are registered as grain protectants, against adults or larvae of the khapra beetle, Trogoderma granarium Everts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) on wheat, barley, maize and rough rice. Three doses were tested: the half of the label dose, the label dose and the double label dose for each insecticide and mortality was assessed after 1, 3, 7 and 14 days (d) post exposure. For parental adults, progeny production was estimated after an additional period of 46 d of exposure. All tested insecticides were able to suppress T. granarium adults, even at the lowest dose. Pirimiphos-methyl and silicoSec were found to be most effective than the other insecticides, as these were the only ones that caused application resulted in 100% mortality at the 7-d exposure interval, at the half label or label dose. Conversely, the majority of the insecticides tested were found to be ineffective against T. granarium larvae. Pirimiphos-methyl was the only insecticide on which larval mortality reached 100% on all commodities tested and by far more effective than the other insecticides. For both adults and larvae, mortalities were generally higher on wheat and barley, than on rough rice and maize, for most of the combinations tested. Our findings indicate that the biological stage (i.e., adults or larvae) and the type of infected commodity should be seriously considered when insecticidal management strategies with cypermethrin, deltamethrin, pirimiphos-methyl, silicoSec, s-methoprene or spinosad are planned against T. granarium.