Abstract
An energy budget was determined for the total life span of Plodia interpunctella (Hubner) reared individually on corn at 28 ± 1°C and 70 ± 5% RH. Range of mean individual insect biomass expressed as energy units was from 0.12 J for each newly laid egg to 77.4 J for a 21-day-old, fifth-instar larva. Maximum respiratory rate of 29.6 J per individual per day also occurred in fifth-instar larvae. Biomass decreased gradually after pupation. Adult females laid eggs equivalent to 11.2 J, whereas males used ca. 2.1 J as sperm for insemination. Total food consumption during immature development was the equivalent of 657.3 J per female and 621.5 J per male. Assimilation efficiency was 50.3% for females and 53.0% for males; net production efficiency was 23.5% for females and 23.2% for males; gross production efficiency was 11.8% for females and 12.3% for males. An initial infestation of 100 eggs of P. interpunctella was estimated to result in an energy loss of 28,000 kJ from stored corn after 90 days under optimal conditions.
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