Response of Tribolium castaneum and Tribolium confusum adults to vertical black shapes and its potential to improve trap capture

Abstract

Tribolium castaneum and Tribolium confusum can be monitored in food processing facilities using traps baited with pheromones and kairomones, but beetle response to traps might be enhanced by adding visual cues. Against a white background, T. castaneum adults were more likely to visit black pillars than white pillars when presented with a choice (e.g., 73% of beetles visited black and 17% visiting white pillar), and visits to black pillars increased with pillar height. When tested against a black background, beetles did not show a significant preference for either color pillar regardless of height. When comparing beetle's captures in pheromone/kairomone baited traps placed in front of a white or black panel in a white arena under high, low, or dark light conditions, more beetles were captured in traps in front of black panels under both high and low light conditions, but not under dark conditions. A similar pattern of capture under low light and dark conditions was also found for the closely related species T. confusum. In a larger scale choice test, the same pattern of greater T. castaneum captures in traps in front of black panels than white panels was obtained, whether traps were placed in corners or along walls. Our results suggest that captures in monitoring traps could be increased by adding dark vertical shapes behind trap locations or placing traps near dark structures.

Effect of Trap Design, Chemical Lure, Carbon Dioxide Release Rate, and Source of Carbon Dioxide on Efficacy of Bed Bug Monitors

“…The effect of trap color (Strom and Goyer 2001, Roubos and Liburd 2008, Semeao et al 2011, shape (Vernon and Gillespie 1995), size (Vernon andGillespie 1995, Liburd et al 1998), and texture of the outer surface (Hamilton et al 1971, Granovsky 1983) on trap efÞcacy has already been demonstrated for other insect pests. Singh et al (2012) conducted a series of laboratory experiments measuring the factors that may affect the efÞcacy of bed bug monitors.…”

Influence of Environmental and Physical Factors on Capture of Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in a Flour Mill

“…T. castaneum tend to follow edges and to move more slowly when near edges (Campbell and Hagstrum 2002) and accumulation of ßour and presence of shelter can also impact movement behavior and distribution of eggs (Campbell and Runnion 2003, Toews et al 2005, Romero et al 2010. Dark, narrow, and tall shapes also can be attractive, and placing traps near these shapes can increase beetle captures (Semeao et al 2011). Lighting can attract some stored-product pest species (Phillips and Throne 2010), but T. castaneum is considered a cryptozoic species (Jackowska et al 2007) and might choose locations with low light intensity.…”

The potential of novel phenol-derivative compounds for feeding deterrent control of several stored-product coleopteran pests

“…castaneum under high light intensities moved less and tried to hide (Semeao et al, 2011). The insects could have been more motivated to try and find a hiding place due to the light stimulation and therefore disregarded any other stimulus including the test compounds.…”

“…The insects could have been more motivated to try and find a hiding place due to the light stimulation and therefore disregarded any other stimulus including the test compounds. Effects of combined sensory inputs in insects has been well-documented -e.g., light and olfactory cues (Duehl et al, 2011;Semeao et al, 2011) -and simultaneous sensory inputs can conflict with one another.…”