scholarly journals Gender identity and sexual experience affect mating behaviour and chemical profile in the lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Calla-Quispe ◽  
Carlos Martel ◽  
Alfredo Jesús Ibáñez
Keyword(s):  
Gender Identity ◽  
Structural Damage ◽  
Sexual Experience ◽  
Mating Behaviour ◽  
Insect Pest ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Circadian Pattern ◽  
Alphitobius Diaperinus ◽  
Lesser Mealworm ◽  
Coleoptera Tenebrionidae

Alphitobius diaperinus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), the lesser mealworm, is one of the most significant pests of the poultry industry worldwide. These insects cause structural damage in poultry houses and transmit several diseases, impacting chickens' productivity and rearing costs. Although semiochemicals may offer alternative insect pest management strategies, basic information regarding pheromone identity and their role on the behavioural ecology according to their circadian pattern of sexual behaviour of A. diaperinus is essentially lacking. This study is aimed to analyse the relation of gender identity and sexual experience of adults of A. diaperinus on their mating behaviour and whether this response is related to their CHC profiles secreted. The following steps were taken to achieve the study’s goal. First, the circadian pattern of their sexual activity was observed in newly emerged pairs for at least twenty-one days (virgin adults) and experienced adults collected from the field to identify a difference based on their sexual experience and achieve the optimal mating season to develop the following assays. Subsequently, Y-tube olfactometer bioassays were conducted to evaluate their odour bouquet attraction based on gender and sexual experience. Additionally, mating behaviour bioassays were conducted to evaluate the two factor effects. Finally, cuticular analysis was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to evaluate possible chemical differences based on the two factors. With statistical and multivariate analysis, we found that behavioural, mating and chemical responses are different based on their sexual experience. The mating sequences were described into precopulatory, copulatory and postcopulatory phases. This finding gives us a deeper understanding of the sexual communication during mating. In summary, our findings provide new insights into the mating system and chemical ecology of A. diaperinus . The results presented here may serve as a base for further studies to develop strategies for managing this pest.

scholarly journals Upcycling of manure with insects: current and future prospects

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
J.A. Cammack ◽  
C.D. Miranda ◽  
H.R. Jordan ◽  
J.K. Tomberlin
Keyword(s):  
Musca Domestica ◽  
Production System ◽  
Animal Manure ◽  
House Fly ◽  
Future Prospects ◽  
Black Soldier Fly ◽  
Alphitobius Diaperinus ◽  
Lesser Mealworm ◽  
Animal Production System ◽  
Coleoptera Tenebrionidae

An unavoidable by-product of any animal production system, be it vertebrate- or invertebrate-based, is the manure generated by the animals themselves. In this review, we focus on the role that insects, particularly the black soldier fly Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), could play in managing the mass amount of manure produced through animal agriculture, and the subsequent commodities that could be generated by such a system. Although the focus of this review is on the black soldier fly, we postulate that other species, including the lesser mealworm Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) and the house fly Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae) are also well poised to help with the challenge of managing animal manure, while generating products of value.

scholarly journals Native isolates and the effect of aviary litter on the pathogenicity and virulence of entomopathogenic nematodes for the control of the lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Thiago Augusto Paes Fernandes ◽  
◽  
Matheus Corseti Marcomini ◽  
Fabio Pinhatari Ferreira ◽  
Bruna Aparecida Guide ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Entomopathogenic Nematodes ◽  
Steinernema Carpocapsae ◽  
Alphitobius Diaperinus ◽  
Lesser Mealworm ◽  
Coleoptera Tenebrionidae

Objetivou-se selecionar isolados nativos de nematoides entomopatogênicos (NEPs) e avaliar o efeito da cama de aviário na sua patogenicidade e virulência, visando o controle do cascudinho de aviário. Foram utilizados 18 isolados (Steinernema e Heterorhabditis) no teste de seleção e os três isolados mais virulentos foram utilizados no teste de concentrações (10, 20, 40, 50 juvenis infectantes (JIs)/cm²). O efeito da cama de aviário (nova e velha) foi avaliado sobre S. feltiae (IBCB-n 47), S. carpocapse (IBCB-n 02), H. bacteriophora e H. amazonensis (UEL 08). Os experimentos foram realizados em delineamento inteiramente casualizado. Os dados do teste de seleção e efeito da cama foram submetidos ao teste de médias Scott-Knott (P?0,05) e, do teste de concentrações à análise de regressão. Observou-se no teste de seleção para adultos, que os três isolados mais virulentos foram Heterorhabditis amazonensis (UEL 07), H. amazonensis (RSC 05) e Steinernema carpocapsae (IBCB-n 02) com 76,5; 73,5; 70% mortalidade respectivamente. Para larvas, Heterorhabditis sp. (NEPETT 11), S. feltiae (IBCB-n 47), H. amazonensis. (UEL 07) foram os mais virulentos e causaram 100; 96; 93,7% de mortalidade respectivamente. No teste de concentrações, a maior mortalidade em adultos (98%) e larvas (98%) foi observada para S. feltiae nas concentrações de 30 JIs/cm² e 50JIs/cm² respectivamente. Com relação ao efeito da cama de aviário, observou-se que S. feltiae (IBCB-n 47) e S. carpocapse (IBCB-n 02) causaram as maiores mortalidade tanto em cama nova (60,7 e 58,7%) quanto em cama velha (80 e 74,7%) respectivamente.

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