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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 #328748
Title: Effect of seeding on the capture of six stored product beetle species: The relative species matters

Author
item ATHANASSIOU, CHRISTOS - University Of Thessaly
item KAVALLIERATOS, NICKOLAS - Agricultural University Of Athens
item Campbell, James - Jim

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/2016
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Traps that capture walking insects are widely used to monitor the activity of stored product beetle pests, but the probability of capture in a trap can be impacted by a range of biological, environmental and physical factors. These traps can capture a range of beetle species and typically the beetles die in the traps after a period of time. Prior capture of individuals of the same or different species may change the volatile cues produced by a trap and influence subsequent attractiveness of the trap, but this factor has received relatively little attention. When the effect of the presence of dead or alive adults of same species or a different closely related species (i.e., in the same genus) was evaluated for six stored product insect species (red flour beetle, confused flour beetle, rice weevil, granary weevil, sawtoothed grain beetle, and merchant grain beetle) it was demonstrated that overall dead adults in a trap had the strongest positive influence on trap capture. However, the response varied among the species with an increase for rice weevil, granary weevil, sawtoothed grain beetle, and merchant grain beetle and a decrease for the two flour beetle species. Presence of alive adults in trap generally did not result in a response different from traps with no prior captures, except for red flour beetle and sawtoothed grain beetle. When beetles were given a choice between traps with alive or dead individuals of the same species versus alive or dead individuals of its closely related species, the rice weevil, granary weevil and sawtoothed grain beetle showed a preference for traps with alive individuals of the same species versus the related species, and for all the other species there was no preference. For choices between traps with dead individuals, red flour beetle exhibited a preference for individuals of the same species, while rice weevil, granary weevil and merchant grain beetle showed a preference for the related species. Our results suggest that previous captures of beetles within traps can influence response to traps and that this response depends on the species previously captures and whether they are alive or dead. This can have important implications in the interpretation of information obtained from trapping programs.

Technical Abstract: n trapping programs prior capture of individuals of the same or different species may influence subsequent attractiveness of the trap. To evaluate this process with stored-product insects, the effect of the presence of dead or alive adults on the behavioral responses of six stored product insect species, Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val, T. casteneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Sitophilus oryzae (L.), S. granarius (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) and O. mercator (Fauvel) (Coleoptera: Silvanidae), was studied in choice tests under laboratory conditions. Two series of tests were carried out. In the first series, the choice was between either alive or dead adults of same species and blank (no adults). Overall, dead adults had the strongest influence, increasing the response of S. oryzae, S. granarius, O. surinamensis, and O. mercator and decreasing the response of the two Tribolium species. Presence of alive adults generally did not result in a response different from blank, except for T. castaneum and O. surinemensis that had a reduced response. In the second series of tests, the choice was between alive or dead individuals of the same species versus alive or dead individuals of its relative co-generic species. For choices between alive individuals, S. oryzae, S. granarius, and O. surinamensis showed a preference for alive individuals of the same species versus the co-generic species, and for all the other species there was no preference. For choices between dead individuals, T. castaneum exhibited a preference for individuals of the same species, while S. oryzae, S. granarius, and O. mercator showed a preference for individuals of the co-generic species, and all other combinations did exhibit a preference. Our results suggest that traps containing alive and dead individuals of the same and other species can seriously affect the response and capture of additional insects.