Influence of Dried Fruits and Nuts on Development and Survival of The Sawtoothed Grain Beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.)

Abstract

The present experiments were carried out in the laboratory belonging to the Economic Entomology Department at Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University Egypt. To obtain the insect; samples of the infested stored rice with different stages of Oryzaephilus surinamensis were transferred to the laboratory and kept under laboratory conditions until adults emergence. The total development of immature stages in relation to the different food types were recorded. The shortest developmental time was on dry dates and the longest time was on semi-dry palm (32.6±1.04 and 36.9±0.96 days, respectively) with highly significantly differences in development times of the insect among food types in non-choice test. The highest survival rates of the larval and pupal stages of the insect was when the larvae fed on dry dates (87.0 and 96.6%, respectively). The highest number of the adults emerged and the highest weight loss were obtained when larvae fed on dry dates in non-choice test. The highest average number of the attracted adults, female egg-laying and F1 progeny were obtained on dry dates in free-choice test. In free-choice test, the highest immature survival rateand the largest weight loss were obtained on dry dates.