Infection of stored wheat flour with insects and toxic fungi can be an extremely serious problem. This study was conducted to isolate and identify the fungal species and insects in different stages, which infested and contaminated the stored flour under Jazan region conditions and changed its color and flavor. The obtained results revealed that the isolated insect was the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. Live adult, larvae and cast skin were isolated. Four Aspergillus species were isolated from stored wheat flour; the isolated species prevalence being A. flavus > A. niveus > A. terreus > A. niger by rate 44.5%, 37.8%, 10.9% and 6.7%, respectively. The same fungal species isolated from flour were also isolated from different insect stages. A. flavus was the most common fungus and A. niger was isolated with a lower rate. The results about the isolated fungi either from the suspension of adult insects, larvae or cast skins may confirm the role of T. castaneum to carry and distribute fungi in different parts of the stored flour.
Insecticidal and repellent activities of methanolic extract of Tribulus terrestris L. (Zygophyllaceae) against the malarial vector Anopheles arabiensis (Diptera: Culicidae).
vegans (Haliday) was the most abundant species followed by Anatricus erianceus Loew and they represented 72.74% and 21.71% of the total collection, respectively. On the other hand, Culicoides imicola Kieffer, Sarcophaga ruficornis (Fabricius) and Musca lucidula (Loew) were recorded in few numbers and they represented 0.09%-0.1% of the total collection. Physiphora alceae (Preyssler) and Musca sorbens Wiedemann were recorded only from slaughter houses. In addtion, Sarcophaga dux Thompson is recorded for the first time from Jazan during the present investigation. For accurate location of sampling sites, details of the selected area such as longitude, latitude and altitude were computed using the global positioning system (GPS).
The cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis is destructive pest of cotton and various crops all over the year. The present study was carried out aiming to assess the effects of Precocene I (PI) on the most important parameters of adult performance and reproductive potential of this pest. Five sublethal doses: 150, 120, 90, 30 and 15 µg/larva had been topically applied (once) onto 1-day old larvae of 5 th (penultimate) instar and 6 th (last) instar. The adult emergence was slightly, or drastically, blocked, depending on the dose level and larval instar under treatment. PI exhibited a slightly extended toxic effect on the adult females only with the higher two doses. Some adult deformities were produced after treatment of 6 th instar larvae with PI. With regard to the adult longevity, the major effect of PI was the promotion of adult females to live longer lifetime. Both preoviposition and oviposition periods had been slightly, or considerably, shortened. After topical application of PI onto 5 th instar larvae, the oviposition rate was drastically regressed only at the lower two doses. After treatment of 6 th instar larvae with PI, the oviposition rate was drastically regressed in a dose-dependent course. Both fecundity and fertility were dramatically reduced. Complete sterility was recorded after treatment of 5 th instar larvae with PI but complete sterility had been recorded after treatment of 6 th instar larvae only with 150 and 30 µg/larva. The incubation period was remarkably prolonged.
Stored wheat flour samples purchased from Jazan local markets in Saudi Arabia were checked for the presence of pests, insect and fungal species. The insects existing in the flour were separated and identified as red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum and from 60 individuals (dead bodies) inspected, 17 individuals exhibited abnormal deformation, decomposition and or superficial fungal growths. Incubation of the dead insects' bodies resulted in emergence of fungal growth on the surface of these bodies. Nine fungal species that belonged to eight fungal genera were isolated. Results indicate that Beauveria bassiana and Verticillium lecanii were the most dominant fungi among those isolated from T. castaneum growing in flour followed by Sporothrix sp., Hirsutella versicolor, Granulomanus sp., modern Rhizoctonia solani, Moelleriella sp., Aspergillus fumigatus and A. flavus.
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