Impact of Different Food Sources on the Developmental Biology and Host Preferences of the Red Flour Beetle Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)
Sake Manideep *
Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), India.
S.N. Salma Banu
Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), India.
Talapala Sai Kumar
Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), India.
S.V. Sangeetha
Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), India.
Tulasi B
Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), India.
S. Padmashree
Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), India.
K. Kruthi Reddy
Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), India.
K.S. Kedswin
Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
An experiment conducted at the seed center laboratory at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University during June 2022 evaluated the host preferences and developmental biology of the red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum) across three food sources: broken rice with rice flour, broken wheat with wheat flour, and tapioca flour. Beetle development was observed in ventilated containers under controlled conditions (28-30°C, 65% relative humidity) with 25 beetles per container. Significant differences in beetle survival and development. Wheat flour was the most favourable host, with 304 live adults, followed by broken wheat (145 live adults. Rice flour supported 20 adults and 11 larvae, indicating moderate suitability. Whole rice grains and tapioca flour were the least effective, with only dead adults and few larvae. Despite host quality variations, the developmental stages (egg incubation: 4-7 days, larval: 65-70 days, pupal: 6-9 days) were consistent across food sources. Wheat flour is the most supportive environment for T. castaneum development.
Keywords: Red flour beetle, post-harvest food loss, pest, wheat flour, rice, tapioca flour