Efficacy of Some Nanoparticles against the Adults of Red Flour Beetle Triboliumcastaneum (Herbst) under Laboratory Conditions

Abstract

Stored grain insect pests cause high deterioration to grains and seeds in storage, such as weight loss, less germination and reduced nutrition values of grains. In the present study,theefficacyof threenano-particlesnano-malathion, organic nano-silica and inorganic nano-silicawereevaluated by mixing with grains under laboratory conditions against the adults ofTriboliumcastaneum. (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae).The results showed that nano-malathion had the highest adverse effect on all parameters after 14 days of treatment. The median lethalconcentrations (LC50s) of organic nano-silica and inorganic nano-silica on adultsof T. castaneum were2.76 and 0.90% after10 days of treatment, respectively. The lethal concentration (LC50) of nano-malathion was 34×10-5%while the (LC50) of conventional malathion was 0.10% after 3 days of treatment.Inorganic nano silica showed significant inhibitor on the number of T. castaneum adult progeny at the lower concentration.