Abstract
Ulomoides dermestoides (Fairmaire, 1983) is a beetle that feeds on stored grains such as peanuts, oats and corn. It is widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various respiratory diseases such as bronchial asthma. The aim of this study was to assess the life cycle of U. dermestoides using the peanut (Arachis hypogaea L) as food, under laboratory conditions. Twenty-five adult pairs were put together in glass vials for mating, employing broken peanut kernels as substrate. After the adults mated, 30 eggs were selected and monitored until the adult stage. The length of time each life stage took was recorded, including adult fecundity. The life cycle of U. dermestoides from egg to adult stage lasts for about 67.6 ± 0.2 days and consists of four stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Adult females laid eggs during 135 days after their emergence, and the average fecundity was 261 eggs per female. The duration of the larval stage was 60 ± 0.10 days and it passed through seven instars, and finally the semi-mobile pupae stage lasted 3–5 days.
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