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ARS Home » Plains Area » Manhattan, Kansas » Center for Grain and Animal Health Research » Stored Product Insect and Engineering Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #299397
Title: Evaluation of potential attractants for Liposcelis bostrychophila (Psocoptera: Liposcelididae)

Author
item Diaz-Montano, John
item Campbell, James - Jim
item PHILLIPS, THOMAS - Kansas State University
item Throne, James

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/2014
Publication Date: 4/1/2014
Citation: Diaz-Montano, J., Campbell, J.F., Phillips, T.W., Throne, J.E. 2014. Evaluation of potential attractants for Liposcelis bostrychophila (Psocoptera: Liposcelididae). Journal of Economic Entomology. 107(2):867-874. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/EC13427.

Interpretive Summary: The psocids, also known as booklice, are worldwide insect pests of stored grains that cause significant economic losses by direct feeding and product contamination, and are difficult to control with insecticides. To effectively guide pest management programs, it is critical to have a pest-monitoring program, but tools to attract and trap psocids are currently not available. The response of a major stored grain psocid pest species, Liposcelis bostrychophila, to potential attractants (including grains, grain based oils, wheat germ, and brewer’s yeast) was studied, and it was determined that brewer’s yeast, wheat germ and wheat germ oil had the strongest psocid response. These materials appear promising attractants for incorporation into psocid traps and will be further evaluated for monitoring psocids.

Technical Abstract: The psocid Liposcelis bostrychophila Badonnel (Psocoptera: Liposcelididae) can cause significant damage to stored commodities, and its pest status in the U.S. has been increasing over the last decade. Because L. bostrychophila is difficult to control with conventional methods, it is critical to explore alternative approaches such as the use of attractants that can be incorporated into IPM programs for monitoring psocids. The orientation response of several L. bostrychophila life stages (1st and 2nd instars, 3rd and 4th instars, 0-7-d-old adults, 21-28-d-old adults, and adults of mixed ages) to a range of potential attractants (including whole and cracked grains, grain-based oils, wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, and commercially available kairomone lures) was studied using a two-choice pitfall test to identify candidates for further development as lures in traps. Among the potential attractants, brewer’s yeast was the material most consistently preferred by all stages of L. bostrychophila evaluated. Other materials for which there was consistently a strong preference were psocid diet, wheat germ, and wheat germ oil. These results show the potential for developing monitoring tools for IPM programs for L. bostrychophila and other psocid species.