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Title: MONITORING TRIBOLIUM CASTANEUM (HERBST) (COLEOPTERA: TENEBRIONIDAE) IN PILOT SCALE WAREHOUSES TREATED WITH RESIDUAL APPLICATIONS OF (S) HYDROPRENE AND CYFLUTHRIN

Author
item Toews, Michael
item Campbell, James - Jim
item Arthur, Franklin
item West, Mark

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/22/2005
Publication Date: 8/1/2005
Citation: Toews, M.D., Campbell, J.F., Arthur, F.H., West, M.S. 2005. Monitoring Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in pilot scale warehouses treated with residual applications of (s) hydroprene and cyfluthrin. Journal of Economic Entomology 98(4): 1391-1398.

Interpretive Summary: Crack and crevice insecticide applications are the most common technique used to control the red flour beetle in North American milling and food processing facilities. However, little field research has been conducted to measure the impact of these insecticide applications and how they affect our ability to monitor populations with insect traps. We infested pilot-scale warehouses with red flour beetles and then applied two common insecticides while monitoring the insect populations weekly over a 6-week period. Results show that some insecticides kill many adult insects but the number of insects collected in untreated food patches inside the warehouses was unaffected by any insecticide. Additionally, larvae and adults of the red flour beetle were captured in insect traps regardless of insecticide application, with more insects being captured in traps placed closest to the food patches. This information will help pest managers better target insecticide applications for better control with less insecticide.

Technical Abstract: Pilot-scale warehouses infested with all life stages of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) were treated with a combination of insecticide ((S) hydroprene, cyfluthrin, or water only) and application strategy (warehouse perimeter or shelf perimeter) to investigate efficacy and effect on insect captures in food- and pheromone-baited pitfall traps. Insecticides were applied at the labeled rate either around the inside perimeter of the warehouse or in a band around a shelf placed above the food patches. Insect populations were assessed weekly for 6 wk with absolute samples of the food patches and capture of larvae and adults in pitfall traps. Results show that there were significantly more dead adults collected in warehouses receiving cyfluthrin than (S) hydroprene or water only treatments. However, food patch samples showed that there were no detectable differences in quantity of larvae, pupae, or adults among any treatments. Pitfall traps detected fewer larvae starting the 4th week of the study in the warehouses treated with cyfluthrin around the shelf perimeter. Rate of larval capture in traps increased overall with increasing larval populations but was more pronounced in traps located closer to the food patches. Number of adults captured in pitfall traps reflected adult mortality in cyfluthrin- treated warehouses. Capture of larvae and adults were greater near the source of the infestation than elsewhere in the warehouse suggesting that trapping data should be considered when precision targeting insecticide applications in the field.