5 Biology, Behavior, and Ecology of Pests in Other Durable Commodities
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.
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