Food Deprivation Reduced Survival and Progeny Production of Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) Adults

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The effectiveness of sanitation in preventing infestation of stored products by insects depends on the effect of food deprivation on the survival of those insects. The survival rate and progeny production of Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) adults with different starvation periods was investigated at 27 ± 2 °C, 75 ± 5% relative humidity in the laboratory. Only 16.7 ± 3.3% of L. serricorne adults survived 18 d of starvation, and the number of adult progenies produced was reduced 90.9 ± 5.7% after 18 d of starvation. The results suggest that food deprivation for the duration of the study could effectively inhibit infestations by L. serricorne adults, which could assist in the design of effective stored product pest sanitation protocols.