Impact of temperature on life history of two long-term laboratory strains of Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from Greece and Serbia

Abstract

The current study examines the influence of temperature (25, 30 and 32.5 °C), on two laboratory strains of Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val, originally collected from Greece and Serbia, in terms of immature development, adult longevity, female fecundity and the resulting demographic parameters. Among the tested temperatures, the slowest development as well as the longest longevity of both males and females, were recorded at 25 °C for both strains. Among the two strains, the Serbian completed quicker the egg to adult development at 25 and 32.5 °C. Both strains had the same immature developmental duration at 30 °C. Male longevity was significantly longer for the Greek strain at 30 °C, compared to the Serbian strain. Both strains showed the highest fecundity at 30 °C. Αt all examined temperatures, the females of Serbian strain laid more eggs compared to the Greek strain. There were no statistically significant differences of the survival time between the two strains at any temperature. The intrinsic and the finite rate of increase at 25 °C, was statistically different between the two strains with 0.008 (females/female/day) and 1.008 for the Greek strain and 0.014 (females/female/day) and 1.014 for the Serbian strain, respectively. Mean generation time as well as doubling time were shorter for the Serbian strain at 25 and 32.5 °C. These results will increase the knowledge about the prediction of the precise population growth and infestation in storage units, and to the successful management of T. confusum.