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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 #377159
Research Project: Sustainable Management Strategies for Stored-Product Insects

Location: Stored Product Insect and Engineering Research

Title: Influence of the presence of flour on the efficacy of low temperatures on stored product insects

Author
item ATHANASSIOU, CHRISTOS - University Of Thessaly
item KAVALLIERATOS, NICKOLAS - Agricultural University Of Athens
item Arthur, Franklin

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/16/2024
Publication Date: 3/3/2021
Citation: Athanassiou, C.G., Kavallieratos, N.F., Arthur, F.H. 2021. Influence of the presence of flour on the efficacy of low temperatures on stored product insects. Crop Science. 144: 105514. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2020.105514.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2020.105514

Interpretive Summary: Recent studies have investigated the use of cold temperatures to control stored product insects. Although results are promising, additional research is necessary to determine how the presence of a food source may affect survival of insects exposed to cold. We conducted studies by exposing eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults of the red flour beetle, and adults of the sawtoothed grain beetle and adults of a psocid species to temperatures ranging from 0 to 32 °F. Eggs and pupae were the least susceptible life stage of the red flour beetle, but as temperature decreased and exposure time increased, complete mortality was achieved. Adults of the sawtoothed grain beetle were very susceptible to the cold temperatures. The presence of flour did not affect susceptibility of either beetle species. The psocid adults were much more tolerant to the cold temperatures compared to either beetle species, and the presence of flour did cause an increase in the exposure time necessary to achieve complete mortality, but this was not consistent among temperatures. Results show that life stages of insect species, and adults of different species, vary in their susceptibility to cold temperatures. Specific control strategies may have to be targeted to different species or life stages depending on their cold-tolerance.

Technical Abstract: The efficacy of cold temperatures ranging from 0 to -15 oC, was was evaluated for all life stages of Tribolium confusum, and adults of Oryzaephilus surinamensis and Liposcelis bostrychophila. All species/life stages were exposed in empty vials or vials containing about 5 g of flour, for time intervals of 2 to 7 d. Eggs and pupae were the least susceptible life stages of T. confusum, as these life stages had the highest survival at – 15 oC. Nevertheless, at this an exposure of 4 and 8 h for eggs and pupae, respectively, resulted in complete mortality. The presence of flour did not affect survival of T. confusum exposed to any temperature. There was no survival O. surinamensis adults after exposure to -5 oC for 7 d, and the presence of flour had no effect on survival. Adults of L. bostrychophila were the most-cold tolerant among the species and life stages tested; at -10 oC, mortality was 100 % only after 7 d of exposure. For this species, the presence of flour had a noticeable effect on adult survival, but results were not consistent with temperature. Results of this study can be utilized to develop control programs for using cold temperatures as a disinfestation strategy for infested commodities.