Digestive physiology and population growth parameters of red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), on different barley cultivars

Rahimi Namin, Foroogh (2019) Digestive physiology and population growth parameters of red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), on different barley cultivars. Doctoral thesis, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili.

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Abstract

Research aim: Red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is a cosmopolitan and serious pest of cereal grains and their products in storage. Therefore, the aim of this research was to study the nutritional indices, activity of digestive enzymes (amylase and protease) of fourth instar larvae and adults and population growth parameters of T. castaneum on ten commercial barley cultivars (Fajr¬30, Behrokh, Sahra, Makuyi, Neek, Lout, Bahman, Nosrat, Abidar and Sahand) in order to identify the cultivars with the most adverse effects on this pest. Research method: For rearing of red flour beetle in laboratory, adults were reared on crushed barley seeds for two generations in the growth chamber with temperature of 30 ± 1°C, relative humidity of 75 ± 5% and darkness conditions. In order to egg laying, the adults (male and female) were transferred into a plastic container (18×12×6 cm) and obtained eggs were used in main experiments. Findings: The results indicated that the fourth instar larvae and adults fed on cultivars Makuyi and Fajr¬30 had the lowest values of weight gain, efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI), relative growth rate (RGR) and growth rate (GR). The lowest growth indices were on cultivars Makuyi and Fajr¬30 and the highest of the indices were observed on cultivar Lout. The highest amylolytic activity of larvae was on cultivar Bahman, and the lowest activity was on cultivars Makuyi and Neek. Amylolytic activity of adults was the highest on cultivar Makuyi, and the lowest on cultivar Lout. Also, proteolytic activity of fourth instar was the highest on cultivar Sahra, and the lowest on cultivars Behrokh and Makuyi. The highest proteolytic activity of adults was on cultivar Abidar, whereas the lowest activity was on cultivar Bahman. The longest larval period and larval-pupal period were observed on cultivars Fajr¬30 and Makuyi. Also, the lowest fecundity, hatch rate, net reproductive rate (R0), intrinsic rate of increase (rm) and finite rate of increase (λ) were on cultivars Fajr¬30 and Makuyi. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that cultivars Fajr30 and Makuyi were less nutritive for feeding and development of T. castaneum, which can be recommended to be cultivated and stored in regions where the damage of this pest is economically considerable.

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