ARS | Publication request: SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION AND MOVEMENT PATTERNS OF STORED-PRODUCT INSECTS

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: August 10, 2006
Publication Date: October 14, 2006
Citation: Campbell, J.F., Ching-Oma, G.P., Toews, M.D., Ramaswamy, S. 2006. Spatial distribution and movement patterns of stored-product insects. Proceedings of the 9th International Working Conference on Stored Product Protection, Campinas, SP, Brazil, October 15-18, 2006, p. 361-370.

Technical Abstract: If the foundation of an effective pest management program is an understanding of pest ecology and behavior, then this understanding must be at an appropriate spatial and temporal scale for the pest species and the environment. This is because the structure of the landscape mosaic in which an organism lives influences ecological processes such as population dynamics, movement patterns, and spatial distribution. Stored-product pests occupy spatially and temporally fragmented landscapes that can have profound impacts not only on their population dynamics, but also our ability to monitor populations and effectively target pest management. Recent research findings regarding these broader landscape issues in relation to stored-product pest spatial distribution and movement patterns will be presented. The focus will be on Rhyzopertha dominica, the lesser grain borer, temporal and spatial patterns in flight activity and dispersal, and the influence of land-cover and land-use patterns on flight activity. How this data has generated new hypotheses about the ecology and behavior of this pest and provided insight into more targeted pest management approaches will also be discussed.