5 Biology, Behavior, and Ecology of Pests in Other Durable Commodities
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5 Biology, Behavior, and Ecology of Pests in Other Durable Commodities Peter A. Edde Marc Eaton Stephen A. Kells Thomas W. Phillips Introduction biology, behavior, and ecology of the common insect pests of stored durable commodities. Physical ele- Other durable commodities of economic importance ments defined by the type of storage structure, insect besides dry grains include tobacco, spices, mush- fauna, and interrelationships in the storage environ- rooms, seeds, dried plants, horticultural and agro- ment are also discussed. nomic seeds, decorative dried plants, birdseed, dry pet foods, and animal products such as dried meat and fish, fishmeal, horns, and hooves. Similar to dry Life Histories grains, these commodities are typically maintained and Behavior at such low moisture levels that preserving quality by minimizing insect damage can be a significant chal- lenge. Stored commodities may become infested at the processing plant or warehouse, in transit, at the store, or at home. Many arthropod pests of stored commodities are relatively abundant outdoors, but natural host plants before preadaptation to stored products remain unknown. Capable of long flight, they migrate into unprotected warehouses. Adults (larvae) crawl through seams and folds or chew into sealed packages and multiply, diminishing product quality and quantity. Infestations may spread within a manufacturing facility through electrical conduit Figure 1. Adult of the cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne and control panels. (F.), 2 to 4 mm long (from Bousquet 1990). The type of pest observed on a stored product Cigarette Beetle Lasioderma depends on the commodity, but some insects vary widely in their food preferences and may infest a Serricorne (F.) wide range of commodities. Not all insects feed on The adult is 2 to 3 mm long, 1.25 to 1.5 mm wide, the product. Some might be predators or parasitoids and light to dark brown. Antennae are sawlike and of feeding insects or other incidental insects. These have the same thickness from the base to the tip. The are likely temporary invaders, scavengers that feed head is withdrawn under the insect when the insect on animal and plant by-products, materials discarded is at rest or dead, giving the insect a characteristic or stored by animals, items kept in warehouses, humped appearance. When disturbed, the beetle or materials that accumulate in processing facility feigns death, drawing body regions closely together equipment and structures. This chapter reviews the Stored Product Protection 1 Part I | Ecology of Storage Systems for a few minutes. Adults cut holes to penetrate tive to male beetles, and produced by the female in or escape from packaged commodities but rarely relatively lower quantities. feed. Larvae cause most feeding damage observed in infested commodities. Lasioderma serricorne is a Commercial pheromone lure for L. serricorne typi- good flier. It is active at dusk and remains so until cally consists only of serricornin. Because serricornin midnight. Although capable of long flight, beetles only captures male cigarette beetles, food attractants usually are distributed through the sale of infested with synthetic serricornin that attract both females materials. and males are being marketed to improve trap efficiency. Because of the overwhelming tobacco Climate determines the number of L. serricorne volatiles in the environment, additional studies are generations occurring per year. The insect is active needed to determine the efficacy of the food lure in throughout the year in warm buildings in temperate a tobacco warehouse or manufacturing facility. To be and subtropical regions. Development slows during effective, pheromone lures must be changed regularly the winter. In the United States, L. serricorne sea- following manufacturer’s recommendations. sonal flight activity starts in late March to late May, depending on location. The life cycle of the cigarette Important natural enemies (arthropods and bacteria) beetle includes egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages. recorded as attacking the cigarette beetle in storage are reviewed below. When laid, the oval-shaped egg is opaque or white, Commodities infested – turning dull yellow shortly before hatching. The Although the name female deposits eggs singly in crevices or folds within “cigarette beetle” conveys the impression that L. ser- the commodity. On average, L. serricorne progresses ricorne confines feeding activities to manufactured through four larval instars. Larvae are scarabaeiform tobacco (cigarettes), the insect feeds on all cured in shape, i.e., when at rest, bodies curl into a “c” tobacco products. The cigarette beetle probably has shape. When fully grown, the larva stops feeding the most varied taste of all storage insects. Besides and builds a cocoon in a spot that provides a firm tobacco, the insect feeds on a wide range of dried cell foundation. Uniformly white at first, the pupa substrates of animal or vegetable origin. Substrates gradually assumes a reddish brown color, darkening that have been reported as breeding materials or with age. Males and females look similar from the food for L. serricorne include tobacco seed, dried outside. Sexes differ at the tip of the pupae abdomen, figs, dried roots of various kinds, pressed yeast, dried which can be seen after molted skin is removed. dates, starch, bran, belladonna, dried fish, pyrethrum powder, dried cotton, cotton seed, dog food, almonds, Temperature and humidity affect development. furniture stuffing, and bookbinders’ paste (Runner Optimum conditions are 32°C and 75% relative 1919; Howe 1957; Singh et al. 1977; Yokoyama and humidity (RH). Beetle development is impaired Mackey 1987). The cigarette beetle is also a major below 40% RH or above 90%, or at temperatures pest of several dried spices and herbs (Table 1), and above 36°C. Lasioderma serricorne development is of dried plants in botanical collections. The common also affected by type of food on which the insect is food for the cigarette beetle is cured or manufactured reared. Under optimum conditions, it takes about tobacco. On tobacco, the insect prefers leaves with 68 days for the insect to develop from egg to adult low nicotine and high sugar content. Beetle develop- emergence on oriental tobacco; development is about ment is impaired on tobacco diet containing more 20 days less when the beetle is reared on yeast cake than 8% nicotine (Milne 1963). or a mixture of wheat flour plus yeast. Lasioderma serricorne harbors the intracellular yeasts Pheromone plays an important role in the repro- Synbiotaphrium buchneri or S. kochii or Crytococcus duction biology of L. serricorne by bringing both albidus in specialized tissues (mycetomes) at the sexes together and exciting them to copulate. Seven junction of the foregut and midgut of the insect components of the sex pheromone released by female ( Jurzitza 1979; Ryan 2001). These intracellular L. serricorne have been identified (Chuma et al. yeasts synthesize essential amino acids, vitamins, and 1985). Serricornin is the compound that elicits the sterol and enable the insect to feed on food items of strongest attraction and sexual activity in the male relatively poor nutritional quality (Pant and Fraenkel L. serricorne. Six other pheromone compounds are 1950; Milne 1963). Symbionts are transmitted to regarded as minor components, i.e., are less attrac- 2 K-State Research and Extension Chapter 5 | Biology, Behavior, and Ecology of Pests in Other Durable Commodities the next generation superficially on the eggs. Larvae in warmer climates or heated buildings in temperate acquire them by eating the eggshells upon hatching. countries. Although both sexes of S. paniceum are similar in appearance, the male can be distinguished from female beetles by a slot-like structure that is dis- cernible on the tarsal claws of males but absent in females (Ward and Humphries 1977). This diag- nostic characteristic is discernible only in specimens mounted on a slide. Similar to the cigarette beetle, S. paniceum life stages are comprised of the egg, larva, pupa, and adult stage. The female is capable of laying up 75 eggs in a lifetime at 23°C and 65% RH (Lefkovitch 1967). The female drugstore beetle lays Figure 2. Adult of the drugstore beetle, Stegobium paniceum eggs singly in foodstuffs, and about 80% of eggs laid (L.), 2-5 mm long (from Bousquet 1990). by mated females are fertile. Development of the beetles is possible at temperatures between 15 and Drugstore Beetle Stegobium 35°C and 30% RH and above. Optimum conditions Paniceum (L.). for rapid development are 30°C and 60 to 90% RH (Lefkovitch, 1967. The development from egg to The drugstore beetle Stegobium paniceum (L.) adult emergence is completed in about 40 days at (Figure 2) are uniform brown to reddish, cylindri- optimum conditions for rapid development (30°C cal in shape, and between 2.5 and 3.5 mm long. and 60 to 90% RH). Adult longevity is about 85 days Stegobium paniceum is virtually cosmopolitan, but its at 17.5°C and 50 to 70% RH. distribution is more temperate than tropical (Lefko- Similar to cigarette beetles, females of Stegobium vitch 1967). The insect received its Latin name from paniceum (L.) produce a sex pheromone that attracts its occurrence in dry bread (panis). In Europe, it is males. The sex pheromone consists of the two still known as the bread or biscuit beetle. Stegobium compounds: stegobinone and stegobiol (Kodama paniceum attacks many pharmaceutical products and et al. 1987a; Kodama et al. 1987b). Stegobinone is medicinal plants, from which the beetle got its com- the major component and the one primarily used mon name. in commercially available traps and lures. The sex Beetles are usually distributed in infested materi- pheromones of another anobiid, Anobium punctatum als distributed in commerce. Stegobium paniceum is De Geer, the furniture beetle, may consist of the the only other anobiid beetle to be a serious pest of same isomer of stegobinone and are attractive to stored products, and the adults of the beetle are simi- S.