Genetic and environmental factors reducing the incidence of the storage pest Sitotroga cerealella in maize

The Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is found worldwide and infests maize grains in the field and during storage. Transgenic maize resistant to kernel attack by S. cerealella has been developed, but could pose a nutritional risk to humans and livestock. Therefore, alternative sources of resistance posing no threat to consumption should be identified. In this study, our main objectives were to assess genetic variability for kernel damage by S. cerealella under natural infestation and to determine genetic and environmental factors contributing to genotype, year, and genotype*year variability. Factorial regression was performed to obtain a biological explanation for the number of kernels damaged per ear. Seventy-seven Spanish maize landraces along with six hybrid checks were evaluated in 2004, 2005, and 2006. There was variability for kernel damage by natural infestation of S. cerealella among the landraces: popcorn landraces were among the least damaged, whereas hybrid checks were among the most susceptible genotypes. Plant characteristics associated with ear appearance could be the main stimulatory factors for oviposition and feeding of S. cerealella moths, followed by husk coverage of the ear. It was confirmed that temperature is the main environmental factor affecting S. cerealella development. Genotypes sensitive to infestation by S. cerealella were more negatively affected by higher temperatures than the least attractive genotypes, and lower temperatures reduced the number of kernels damaged on the most susceptible genotypes more than on the least susceptible.     

Monitoring Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in pilot-scale warehouses treated with residual applications of (S)-hydroprene and cyfluthrin

Pilot-scale warehouses, artificially infested with all life stages of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), were used to evaluate the efficacy of two contact insecticides, (S)-hydroprene and cyfluthrin, and to determine the effect of insecticide treatments on insect captures in food- and pheromone-baited pitfall traps. Two application strategies were compared; insecticides were applied at the labeled rate either around the inside perimeter of the warehouse or in a band around the base of shelf units containing discrete food patches (10 g of wheat flour) infested with T. castaneum. Insect populations were assessed weekly for 6 wk by recording number of dead adults on the warehouse floor; number of larvae and adults captured in pitfall traps; and number of larvae, pupae, and adults recovered from food patch samples. There were significantly more dead adults in warehouses treated with cyfluthrin than with (S)-hydroprene or water (control treatment). However, food patch samples showed no detectable differences in quantity of larvae, pupae, or adults among any treatments. Pitfall traps detected fewer larvae starting the fourth week of the study in the warehouses treated with cyfluthrin around the shelf perimeter. Rate of larval capture in traps increased overall with increasing larval populations, but it was more pronounced in traps located closer to the food patches. Number of adults captured in pitfall traps reflected adult mortality in cyfluthrin-treated warehouses. Capture of larvae and adults was greater near the source of the infestation than elsewhere in the warehouse, suggesting that trapping data should be considered when precision targeting insecticide applications in the field.     

Efficacy of diatomaceous earth to control internal infestations of rice weevil and maize weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Densities of 10, 20, and 30 hard red winter wheat kernels, Triticum aestivum L., were infested with different life stages of the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.), mixed with 35 g of wheat treated with 300 ppm of the Protect-It (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) formulation of diatomaceous earth (DE), and held at 22, 27, and 32 degrees C. A similar test was conducted by exposing densities of 6, 12, and 18 corn kernels infested with different life stages of the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky, mixed with 30 g of corn, Zea mays L., treated with 300 ppm of DE. Mortality of adults emerging from kernels in wheat treated with DE was always greater than controls, and ranged from 56 to 90% at 22 degrees C and was >90% at 27 and 32 degrees C. In most treatment combinations, exposure to DE suppressed F1 progeny by 60-90% relative to untreated controls. Mortality of adult maize weevils on treated corn held at 22 and 27 degrees C was lower than mortality of rice weevils on wheat, and ranged from 4 to 84%. F1 production was low in corn held at 22 degrees C, and no F1s were produced in either the controls or the treatments at 32 degrees C. In treated corn held at 27 degrees C, exposure to the DE suppressed F1 progeny by approximately 70-80% relative to the untreated controls. Results of this study show that rice weevils and maize weevils emerging from infested kernels as adults are susceptible to DE, and these results are comparable to other studies in which adult weevils were exposed directly on wheat or corn treated with DE. Although adult weevils will be killed by exposure to DE, some oviposition could still occur and progeny suppression may not be complete; however, application of DE to commodities already infested with internal feeders, such as the rice weevil and the maize weevil, could help eliminate or suppress the infestation.     

七种糕点对赤拟谷盗(鞘翅目：拟步甲科)感染的抗性（英文）

Biscuits are flour-based products,which areconsumed by majority of people,both old and young,throughout the world and most especially by children,teenagers and mid-adults(Majumder,1970).It can beserved as a desert or snacks and as a breakfast foodwhentaken with beverages.Its ready-to-serve state andlong shelf life contribute to its acceptability by themasses.Wheat as humanfoodis used principallyintheformof flour for baked products such as bread,bis-cuits,pastries and crackers(Kent,1983).In th…     

Mechanisms underlying sawtoothed grain beetle (Oryzaephilus surinamensis [L.]) (Coleoptera: Silvanidae) infestation of consumer food packaging materials

The sawtoothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.), is an extremely destructive pest of packaged consumer food products. The beetle is not believed to chew directly through packaging materials, but to use openings or flaws in damaged or improperly sealed packages to gain entry. We investigated the behavioral mechanisms by which the sawtoothed grain beetle infests packages with flaws. Significantly more sawtoothed grain beetles infested consumer food packages that had been punctured with 0.4 mm diameter holes, to simulate packaging flaws that preclude adults, than when packages had no flaws. In a test arena, females laid more eggs into or near the hole in a plastic packaging film, when they were able to contact the food through the hole than when they could not contact the food. First instar larvae placed either 1 mm or 1 cm away entered holes when food was present, indicating that packages could become infested if eggs were laid near holes. In the absence of food, neither adults nor larvae responded to holes. This study has shown the importance of sound packaging in preventing insect infestation.     

Performance of crosses among flint maize populations under infestation by Sesamia nonagrioides (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Flint maize, Zea mays L., varieties provide some interesting agronomic characteristics and kernels that possess a better ability than other kernels for developing high-quality flour. The pink stem borer, Sesamia nonagrioides Lefebvre, is an important constraint for the maize crop in Mediterranean regions. The objective of this work was to identify a "flint x flint" heterotic pattern that would perform well under artificial infestation by S. nonagrioides. A 10-population diallel was evaluated under infestation by S. nonagrioides in 2 yr. Variety effects were the only significant effects involved in stem and ear resistance to S. nonagrioides attack. Variety effects and average heterosis effects were the only significant effects for grain yield under artificial infestation conditions. Considering variety effects and cross-performance, the heterotic pattern Basto/Enano levantixo x Longfellow (BA/EL x LO) would be recommended for obtaining flint maize hybrids tolerant to S. nonagrioides attack because BA/EL had the most favorable variety effects for stem resistance, LO exhibited the most positive variety effects for grain yield, and the cross BA/EL x LO yielded significantly more than the remaining crosses.     

Effect of acrolein vapors on stored-product insects and wheat seed viability

In laboratory experiments, toxicity of acrolein vapors was investigated against four species of stored-product insects. In empty-space trials, estimates of the median lethal doses of acrolein against adults of Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.), Sitophilus oryzae (L.), Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), were 1.87, 2.35, 3.12, and 6.65 mg/liter, respectively. Penetration tests revealed that acrolein vapors could penetrate into the wheat mass and kill concealed insects in interkernel spaces. Comparison of LD50 values between empty-space tests and penetration experiments after 24-h exposure indicated that the increase in penetration toxicity was 6.34-, 6.31-, 7.17-, and 4.54-fold for O. surinamensis, S. oryzae, R. dominica, and T. castaneum, respectively. In the hidden infestation trials, the acrolein vapors destroyed all the developmental stages of S. oryzae and R. dominica concealed inside the wheat kernels, resulted in a complete control with dose of 80 mg/liter for 24 h, and subsequently observed during 8 wk after the exposure. Wheat germination rate was diminished by fumigation with acrolein. The plumule length was reduced after exposure to all doses of acrolein. Together, the data suggest acrolein could be a potential compound for empty-space fumigations.     

Insect fragments in flour: relationship to lesser grain borer (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) infestation level in wheat and rapid detection using near-infrared spectroscopy

We determined that the number of insect fragments, quantified using the standard flotation method, in flour milled from wheat infested with larvae, pupae, or preemergent adults of the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), was proportional to infestation level. Wheat infested with a single preemergent adult contributed 28 and 10x as many fragments as wheat infested with a single larva or pupa, respectively. Using regression models that were developed from these data, we predicted that the maximum infestation level that would result in flour with fragment counts below the Food and Drug Administration defect action level (75 fragments/50 g of flour) was 0.95 and 1.5% (380-640 infested kernels/kg of wheat) for pupae and larvae, but it decreased to 0.05% (20 infested kernels/kg) when the grain was infested with preemergent adults. We also reexamined the accuracy and sensitivity of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for detecting insect fragments in flour by testing three different NIR spectrometers. NIRS-predicted numbers of insect fragments were correlated with the actual number of fragments. NIRS is less precise than the standard flotation method, but it is rapid, nondestructive, does not require extensive sample preparation, and could easily be automated for a more sophisticated sampling protocol for flour based on prescreening samples with NIRS followed up by use of the standard flotation method when necessary.     

Evaluation of some plant products for the management of Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) in stored maize (Zea mays) and their effect on nutritional composition of the kernels

The bioactivity of powder from the leaves of Aristolochia ringens, Dalbergia saxatilis, Dioclea reflexa, Ocimum gratissimum, Chrysophyllum albidum, Moringa oleifera, Citrus limon and Newbouldia laevis was tested against the larger grain borer (LGB) in maize kernels and the effect of the powder on the nutritional composition of the kernels was determined. A total of 72 glass bottles containing 100?g maize kernels was divided into four groups. In the first group of 32 glass bottles, 5?g powder of the experimental plants was admixed uniformly with the kernels (5%?w/w). Ten 1–5-day-old LGB adults were introduced into each of the glass bottles. A second group of 32 glass bottles contains 100?g maize kernels admixed with the plant powder as described above, but LGB were not added. In the third group of four glass bottles, 100?g maize kernels received insects only, while in the fourth group of four glass bottles 100?g maize kernels were neither mixed with plant products nor infested with LGB. The treatments were arranged on worktables using completely randomised design and left for three months. The plant products-treated samples (insect free) were passed through a 30?mesh sieve to sieve out the powder and the clean kernels were analysed for proximate composition. The untreated maize kernel had a significantly (p?<?0.05) higher % of grain weight loss (17.33), grain damage % (70.96), number (122.0) of adult LGB, weight (14.46?g) of grain dust and lower % of grain germination. The adsorption and absorption of some of the plant powder by the kernels had significant effect on the kernel composition of protein, fibre and carbohydrate, but not on moisture, dry matter and fat and ash content. Control of LGB with the powder of the test plants could be used as green insecticide for the management of LGB.     

Effect of Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) nutritional environment, sex, and mating status on response to commercial pheromone traps

Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), the red flour beetle, is an important cosmopolitan pest of stored grains. Commercial traps baited with the synthetic aggregation pheromone 4,8-dimethyldecanal (DMD) are used to monitor T. castaneum population densities in storage facilities. However, trap catches may depend on several intrinsic and extrinsic factors. In this study, we explored the effects of beetle nutritional environment, sex, and mating status on the response of T. castaneum to commercial Storgard Dome traps. Beetles raised on a low-nutrition diet were 1.7 times more likely to enter DMD-baited traps compared with beetles that were raised on a high-nutrition diet. Although no sex difference in trap response was found, unmated beetles of both sexes were more responsive to DMD than were mated beetles, and this effect was especially pronounced for beetles reared on a low-nutrition diet. These results suggest that estimating T. castaneum population densities based on trap catches might be improved by incorporating information about the nutritional quality of infested stored products.     

Imaging and automated detection of Sitophilus oryzae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) pupae in hard red winter wheat

Computed tomography, an imaging technique commonly used for diagnosing internal human health ailments, uses multiple x-rays and sophisticated software to recreate a cross-sectional representation of a subject. The use of this technique to image hard red winter wheat, Triticum aestivm L., samples infested with pupae of Sitophilus oryzae (L.) was investigated. A software program was developed to rapidly recognize and quantify the infested kernels. Samples were imaged in a 7.6-cm (o.d.) plastic tube containing 0, 50, or 100 infested kernels per kg of wheat. Interkernel spaces were filled with corn oil so as to increase the contrast between voids inside kernels and voids among kernels. Automated image processing, using a custom C language software program, was conducted separately on each 100 g portion of the prepared samples. The average detection accuracy in the five infested kernels per 100-g samples was 94.4 +/- 7.3% (mean +/- SD, n = 10), whereas the average detection accuracy in the 10 infested kernels per 100-g sample was 87.3 +/- 7.9% (n = 10). Detection accuracy in the 10 infested kernels per 100-g samples was slightly less than the five infested kernels per 100-g samples because of some infested kernels overlapping with each other or air bubbles in the oil. A mean of 1.2 +/- 0.9 (n = 10) bubbles (per tube) was incorrectly classed as infested kernels in replicates containing no infested kernels. In light of these positive results, future studies should be conducted using additional grains, insect species, and life stages.     

Role of egg density on establishment and plant-to-plant movement by western corn rootworm larvae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

The effect of egg density on establishment and dispersal of larvae of the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, was evaluated in a 3-yr field study. Implications of these data for resistance management plans for Bt crops are discussed. Viable egg levels of 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1600 eggs per infested plant were evaluated in 2000, 2001, and 2002. A 3200 viable egg level was also tested in 2001 and 2002. All eggs were infested on one plant per subplot in a field that was planted to soybean, Glycine max (L.), in the previous year. For each subplot, the infested plant, three plants down the row, the closest plant in the adjacent row of the plot, and a control plant at least 1.5 m from any infested plant (six plants total) were sampled. In 2000, there were five sample dates between egg hatch and pupation, and in 2001 and 2002, there were six sample dates. On each sample date, four replications of each egg density were sampled for both larval recovery and plant damage. Initial establishment on a corn plant seemed to not be density-dependent because a similar percentage of larvae was recovered from all infestation rates. Plant damage and, secondarily, subsequent postestablishment larval movement were density-dependent. Very little damage and postestablishment movement occurred at lower infestation levels, but significant damage and movement occurred at higher infestation rates. Movement generally occurred at a similar time as significant plant damage and not at initial establishment, so timing of movement seemed to be motivated by available food resources rather than crowding. At the highest infestation level in 2001, significant movement three plants down the row and across the 0.76 m row was detected, perhaps impacting refuge strategies for transgenic corn.     

The nutritive value of dying maize and Setaria faberi roots for western corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) development

The timing that dying root tissues of Setaria faberi R.A.W. Herrm. and maize, Zea mays L., no longer support growth and development of neonate and second-instar western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), larvae was evaluated to enhance our understanding of the basic ecology of this pest. Three separate greenhouse experiments were conducted. In the first experiment, glyphosate was used to kill S. faberi. In the second experiment, glyphosate was used to kill maize, and in the final experiment, maize was killed by severing it below the growing point. These experiments evaluated western corn rootworm larvae for survival and growth parameters among living control plants, plants severed or sprayed on the day they were infested, plants severed or sprayed 5 and 10 d before they were infested, and plants planted 5 and 10 d early and severed or sprayed 5 and 10 d before they were infested (the last two treatments were controls for root size). Larvae were sampled from each of these treatments 5, 10, and 15 d after infestation, and beetle emergence was recorded from the remaining pots. When infested on the day of glyphosate spray, significantly fewer larvae were recovered from S. faberi than from living S. faberi. Overall, when infested 5 or 10 d after being sprayed with glyphosate or being severed below the growing point, no significant larval weight gain was recorded from any treatment. Host plant tissue apparently becomes unsuitable for larval growth within the first 5 d after glyphosate spray and severing below the growing point. The implications of these data toward current work involving alternate grassy hosts sprayed with herbicide, the increasing occurrence of volunteer corn, related studies on rootworm-host interactions, and certain adult emergence techniques are discussed along with possible mechanisms as to why the tissue becomes unsuitable so quickly.     

Incidence, symptoms, and intensity of damage by three coffee stem borers (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in South Yunan, China

Sampling studies were conducted in coffee plantations in South Yunan to assess the incidence, symptoms, and intensity of damage by three stem borers: Xylotrechus quadripes (Chevrolat), Acalolepta cervina (Hope), and Bacchisa sp. near pallidiventris (Thomson). Of 5,690 plants sampled in eight plantations, 440 were infested with A. cervina, 63 with X. quadripes, and three with B. pallidiventris. Plants 5-7 yr old were 10 times more heavily infested with X. quadripes than 3- to 4-yr-old plants, whereas both age groups of plants had similar levels of infestation with A. cervina. Larval galleries of the three borer species markedly differ: A. cervina and B. pallidiventris larvae develop in subcortical galleries in the main stem (A. cervina) and lateral branches (B. pallidiventris), whereas larval galleries of X. quadripes intermittently punctuate and transverse the xylem of main stems or lateral branches. Significantly more plant tissue was damaged in stems infested with X. quadripes than in those infested with A. cervina or B. pallidiventris. Stems infested with A. cervina or B. pallidiventris generally had only one or a few pupation chambers, whereas stems infested with X. quadripes contained numerous chambers. Quantitative and qualitative data collected through this study provide farmers with diagnostic tools to determine which borer species infested coffee plants. Comparison of life history traits and intensity of damage for the three borer species indicates that X. quadripes is the most severe pest of coffee in Yunan, and suggests that populations of X. quadripes have the greatest potential to steadily increase with time.     

Caste, Sex and Strain of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) Affect Infestation with Tracheal Mites (Acarapis woodi)*

Worker honey bees from genetic strains selected for being resistant (R) or susceptible (S) to tracheal mites typically show large differences in infestation in field colonies and in bioassays that involve controlled exposure to infested bees. We used bioassays exposing newly emerged individuals to infested workers to compare the propensity for tracheal mites to infest queens, drones and workers from R and S colonies. In tests with queens, newly emerged R and S queens were either simultaneously confined in infested colonies (n = 95 and 87 respectively), or individually caged with groups of 5–20 infested workers (n = 119 and 115 respectively). Mite prevalence (percentage of individuals infested) and abundance (foundress mites per individual) after 4–6 days did not differ between R and S queens. In another test, five newly emerged drones and workers from both an R and an S colony, and a queen of one of the two strains, were caged in each of 38 cages with 20 g of workers infested at 60–96% prevalence. Infestations of the R queens (n = 17) and S queens (n = 19) did not differ significantly, but R workers had half the mite abundance of S workers, while R drones received about a third more migrating mites than S drones. In tests to evaluate possible mechanisms, removal of one mesothoracic leg from R and S workers resulted in 2- to 10-fold increase in mite abundance on the treated side, but excising legs did not affect infestation of the corresponding tracheae in drones. This suggests that differences in infestation between R and S workers, but not drones, are largely determined by their ability to remove mites through autogrooming. If autogrooming is the primary mechanism of colony resistance to tracheal mites, selection for resistance to tracheal mites using infestation of hemizygous drones may be inefficient. *The U.S. Government’s right ot retain a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence in and to any copyright is acknowledged.     

Pest management in traditional maize stores in West Africa: a farmer's perspective

Farmers in the Republic of Benin have few resources to invest in protection of stored maize, and prophylactic pesticide application is often recommended by extension and development agencies. Neither the efficacy nor profitability of such an application in traditional maize storage facilities has been addressed quantitatively. In this study, existing management options for stored maize were evaluated monthly over 6 mo in central and southern Benin with respect to their effects on grain injury and on densities of Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) and Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky. P. truncatus infested 54% of the experimental stores in the study even though Teretrius nigrescens (Lewis), a natural enemy introduced against P. truncatus, was well established in the region. S. zeamais was the most common pest, found in 85% of the experimental storage facilities. Prophylactically treated maize was, on average, worth more than untreated maize for month 1 through 5 in southern Benin, after taking into account market price, pesticide costs, percentage grain damage and weight loss, but maize storage was not profitable overall. No difference was observed between treatments in central Benin. After 6 mo treated storage facilities were not significantly different from untreated storage facilities in terms of either percentage damage or profit in either region. A rapid scouting plan intended to provide farmers with a means for identifying storage facilities at greatest risk of severe P. truncatus infestation was field validated. Given that unsafe pesticide use is prevalent in Benin, research and extension services should clearly state the limitations to prophylactic treatment and increase the effort to educate farmers on appropriate pesticide use, store monitoring and marketing.     

Effects of some factors on the susceptibility of Peromyscus leucopus to infestation by larvae of cuterebra fontinella (Diptera: Cuterebridae).

Two levels of 3 factors, (1) host age, (2) host dietary state in regard to vitamin A, and (3) previous infestation history, were tested individually and in combinations for their effects on the susceptibility of Peromyscus leucopus to infestation by larvae of the rodent bot fly, Cuterebra fontinella. Previous infestation was the only significant single factor. Previously uninfested (Pu) mice usually were more susceptible to infestation than previously infested (Pi) mice. Interactions of age and state of vitamin A had the following effects: 1) Young Pu mice that had been denied vitamin A were much less susceptible to infestation than equivalent mice that had been fed diets containing the vitamin; and 2) when Pu mice were deficient in vitamin A, old mice were more susceptible than young mice but when Pu mice were not deficient in the vitamin, young mice were more susceptible. These findings may have significance for natural infestations of P. leucopus.     

Preference and performance of Anagrus nilaparvatae (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae): effect of infestation duration and density by Nilaparvata lugens (Homoptera: Delphacidae)

The effect of Nilaparvata lugens (St?l) infestation duration and density on the host preference and performance of Anagrus nilaparvatae Pang et Wang, an egg parasitoid of rice planthoppers, was determined. The results showed that the parasitoid preferred N. lugens eggs on the plants infested with 10 gravid N. lugens females for 1 d to those plants infested with 10 gravid females for 2 or 3 d. It was also found to prefer N. lugens eggs on plants infested with 10 or 20 adult females after 24 h of infestation to those plants infested with 5 or 80 females. The parasitoid's offsprings had lower survival rates, fecundities, female ratios, indexes of capacity for population increase, and longer developmental durations on plants when they were infested with high N. lugens density (80 adult females per plant). However, the performance of the parasitoid on plants infested with low N. lugens density (5 female adults per plant) was similar to those on plants with intermediate N. lugens density (10 or 20 adult females per plant). Low preference of the parasitoid for N. lugens eggs on plants with heavy or light infestation levels may be correlated with low host suitability and detectability, respectively. The result implies an important role of herbivore-induced rice volatiles in the host preference of the parasitoid A. nilaparvatae, by which the parasitoid perceives the host and its suitability.     

Direct and Indirect Impacts of Infestation of Tomato Plant by Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

The impacts of infestation by the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) on sweetpotato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) settling on tomato were determined in seven separate experiments with whole plants and with detached leaves through manipulation of four factors: durations of aphid infestation, density of aphids, intervals between aphid removal after different durations of infestation and the time of whitefly release, and leaf positions on the plants. The results demonstrated that B. tabaci preferred to settle on the plant leaves that had not been infested by aphids when they had a choice. The plant leaves on which aphids were still present (direct effect) had fewer whiteflies than those previously infested by aphids (indirect effect). The whiteflies were able to settle on the plant which aphids had previously infested, and also could settle on leaves with aphids if no uninfested plants were available. Tests of direct factors revealed that duration of aphid infestation had a stronger effect on whitefly landing preference than aphid density; whitefly preference was the least when 20 aphids fed on the leaves for 72 h. Tests of indirect effects revealed that the major factor that affected whitefly preference for a host plant was the interval between the time of aphid removal after infestation and the time of whitefly release. The importance of the four factors that affected the induced plant defense against whiteflies can be arranged in the following order: time intervals between aphid removal and whitefly release > durations of aphid infestation > density of aphids > leaf positions on the plants. In conclusion, the density of aphid infestation and time for which they were feeding influenced the production of induced compounds by tomatoes, the whitefly responses to the plants, and reduced interspecific competition.     

Bioactivities of methyl allyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide from essential oil of garlic to two species of stored-product pests, Sitophilus zeamais (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Two of the major constituents of the essential oil of garlic, Allium sativum L., methyl allyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide, were tested against Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) for contact toxicity, fumigant toxicity, and antifeedant activity. The contact and fumigant toxicities of diallyl trisulfide were greater than that of methyl allyl disulfide to the adults of these two species of insects. These two compounds were also more toxic to T. castaneum adults than to S. zeamais adults. Older T. castaneum larvae were more susceptible to the contact toxicity of the two compound, whereas younger larvae were more susceptible to the fumigant toxicity of these compounds. Both compounds reduced egg hatching of T. castaneum and subsequent emergence of progeny. Diallyl trisulfide totally suppressed egg hatching at 0.32 mg/cm2, and larval and adult emergence at 0.08 mg/cm2. Methyl allyl disulfide significantly decreased the growth rate, food consumption, and food utilization of adults of both insect species, with feeding deterrence indices of 44% at 6.08 mg/g food for S. zeamais and 1.52 mg/g food for T. castaneum. However, it did not affect any nutritional indices of T. castaneum larvae. Diallyl trisulfide significantly reduced all of the nutritional indices in all of the insects tested. Feeding deterrence indices of 27 and 51% were obtained in S. zeamais adults and T. castaneum larvae, respectively, at the concentration of 2.98 mg/g food, whereas feeding deterrence of 85% was achieved in T. castaneum adults at a much lower concentration of 0.75 mg/g food. Hence, diallyl trisulfide is a more potent contact toxicant, fumigant and feeding deterrent than methyl allyl disulfide.