ARS | Publication request: STORED PRODUCT INSECT BEHAVIOR

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: November 30, 2005
Publication Date: February 1, 2006
Citation: Campbell, J.F. Stored product insect behavior. In: J.W. Heaps, Editor, Insect Management for Food Storage and Processing. St. Paul, MN. AACC International. p. 39-51.

Technical Abstract: What makes an insect a pest of the food industry? Any answer to this question likely involves some aspect of the pest’s behavior. Stored-product insects have a diverse array of behavioral traits that enable them to thrive in the environments created by humans for the processing and storage of food. For example, infestation of packaged commodities results from the ability of insects to locate and enter flaws in packaging. However, behavioral traits can also be exploited for pest monitoring and management. For example, pheromone trapping exploits the behavioral responses of insects to cues used during reproduction. An understanding of pest behavior is therefore critical for the development of effective integrated pest management (IPM) programs focused on preventing pest problems from developing and targeting interventions to maximize efficacy and minimize costs. This chapter focuses on two broad topics that encompass many important behavioral traits that have significant implications for pest management in the food industry: 1) exploitation of patchy environments and 2) response to stimuli. Within each of these topics, the fundamental principals that need to be understood, how these behaviors are expressed in stored-product insects, and, finally, implications for pest management are discussed.