Food source provisioning and susceptibility of immature and adult Tribolium castaneum on concrete partially treated with chlorfenapyr (Phantom®)

Abstract

A series of experiments were conducted in which adults, pupae, and 4-week-old larvae of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), the red flour beetle, were exposed separately on concrete arenas partially treated (14.4% of the total area) with the insecticide chlorfenapyr (Phantom®) at 1.1 g of active ingredient/m2. A flour food source (patch) was also provided in the untreated portions of the arenas. In the first trial, adult mortality averaged 60.0 ± 10.6%, but progeny production occurred in the provided food patches. Pupal mortality was only 8.3 ± 3.1%, indicating that when adult emergence occurred, those adults were able to escape exposure, and there was no difference in progeny production from that in untreated controls (P = 0.27). In the second trial, few larvae exposed in choice and no-choice arenas were able to emerge as normal adults. In a final trial, residual efficacy declined during a 3-week period, with larvae being more susceptible than adults. Results show mobility of life stage may be a determining factor when assessing susceptibility of T. castaneum to contact insecticides.