Abstract
Tribolium castaneum is an insect that occurs worldwide and it is a pest that attacks stored products, in particular, grains and seeds. The adult and immature forms are categorized as secondary pests which feed on grains or seeds previously damage in storage conditions. The objective of this study was to describe the type of damage caused by adults and immature of T. castaneum in Brazil nuts and identify the type of damage caused by Coleoptera. It was also verified whether the shell can protect the almond from the attack of this pest. The lesions inflicted by this insect starts as a scratched surface, which evolves into galleries and even injuries capable of modifying the original shape of the almond. Due to its capacity to promote considerable damage with consequent losses in the value of the nuts, T. castaneum may be listed among pests of Brazil nut categorized as primary pest by its ability to initiate injuries in the intact almond.
Highlights
The genus Tribolium includes pests commonly found in storage facilities of grains and seeds and they cause substantial losses in products like cereals, brans, animal’s food, flours and others (Trematerra & Sciarretta, 2004; Daglish, 2006).The species Tribolium castaneum and Tribolium confusum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) are the most commonly representatives of this genus found in Brazil
The objective of this study was to describe the type of damage caused by adults and immature of T. castaneum in Brazil nuts and identify the type of damage caused by Coleoptera
This beetle is categorized as a secondary pest because the adult and immature forms feed on pre-cracked or broken grains, which were damaged by primary pests; reports in the literature describe the ability of this insect to survive even in the undamaged grains (White, 1982)
Summary
The genus Tribolium includes pests commonly found in storage facilities of grains and seeds and they cause substantial losses in products like cereals, brans, animal’s food, flours and others (Trematerra & Sciarretta, 2004; Daglish, 2006).The species Tribolium castaneum and Tribolium confusum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) are the most commonly representatives of this genus found in Brazil. Tribolium castaneum is popularly known as the beetle of the flour and it is considered a cosmopolitan insect, mainly prevalent in the tropics (Rees, 1996; Faroni & Sousa, 2006). This beetle is categorized as a secondary pest because the adult and immature forms feed on pre-cracked or broken grains, which were damaged by primary pests; reports in the literature describe the ability of this insect to survive even in the undamaged grains (White, 1982)
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