Secondary Pests Research Articles

The Impact of Microbial and Botanical Insecticides on Grape Berry Moths and Their Effects on Secondary Pests and Beneficials

According to the European Directive 2009/128/EC and the subsequent provisions activated in member states, conventional pesticides should be progressively replaced by “non-chemical tools and/or measures”. The identification of reliable alternatives to pesticides is crucial to achieve this objective. A European project (PURE) was funded to investigate this topic with reference to annual and perennial crops. In this framework, a number of natural insecticides, in particular microbial and botanical ones (Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. kurstaki, Beauveria bassiana, azadirachtin, pyrethrins and spinosad) were selected to test their effectiveness against grape berry moths, the key pests in most European vineyards. Trials were conducted in 2011 and 2012 in two experimental vineyards located in Italy (Tuscany and Veneto regions), following a randomized block design. Additional investigations were carried out in the Veneto region during 2013. Trial results stressed the high performance of spinosad and B. thuringiensis in controlling berry moth densities and the related damage. The use of B. bassiana mixed with B. thuringiensis did not significantly improve the impact of B. thuringiensis alone. Azadirachtin, and especially pyrethrins, proved to be less effective on berry moths than previous insecticides. The use of selected insecticides caused side-effects on a number of secondary pests, in particular leafhoppers. In 2011, densities of Empoasca vitis were higher in spinosad-treated plots probably because of a reduced egg parasitization rate. One year later, the population density of Zygina rhamni was higher in the plots treated with spinosad or pyrethrins. This trend was confirmed on spinosad-treated plots in the last experimental year. At the same time, spinosad and pyrethrins significantly reduced the predatory mite populations compared to other treatments. The use of these insecticides in viticulture is discussed in the framework of organic viticulture and Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

The Effect Of Frequency Tuba Root Extract Applications (Derris elliptica Benth.) On The Pest Of Brown Planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens Stal.) in Rice Plants (Oryza sativa L.)

Rice plants are plagued by the brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens Stal.). Synthetic pesticides are commonly used in pest control, which have negative consequences such as secondary pest explosions, resistance, natural enemy death, revival, and contamination. As a result, a pest-control alternative is required, namely the use of vegetable pesticides derived from tuba roots (Derris elliptica Benth.). The study's goal was to see how effective tuba root extract combined with organic solvents was at controlling brown planthoppers on rice plants in greenhouses at various spraying intervals. Plant Pest Laboratory and Technical Implementation Unit for Experimental Gardens, Postgraduate Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Riau University, conducted the study. To acquire 20 experimental units, the investigation was conducted experimentally utilizing a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four treatments and five replications. Without spraying tuba root extract, spraying tuba root extract 1x1 week, 1x2 weeks, and 1x3 weeks were the treatments used. Spraying tuba root extract once a week was the most effective interval, as it reduced the brown planthopper nymph population to 38.20 imagos per clump, the imago population to 31.80 individuals per clump, and the attack intensity to 24 percent.

Efficacy of some plant extracts against mealybugs on cacao

Mealybugs, Planococcus sp. (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), are the secondary pest on the cacao plant. However, this pest often infested cacao shoots in the nursery and causes the death of the seedling. Pest control efforts use existing materials plants in Indonesia and are relatively easy to make and adopt by stakeholders. The purpose of this research was to screen the efficacy of some plants extracts against mealybugs on cacao. We researched in the laboratory of pests and diseases, IIBCRI. Mealybugs were collected from cacao plantations and reared in the laboratory. The materials plants used for extraction were Cassia spectabilis leaves, Gliricidia sepium leaves, Cinnamomum burmannii leaves, Allium sativum bulbs, Reutealis trisperma fruits, and Cymbopogon nardus leaves. The methods were spraying the plant extracts on mealybugs directly (KS) and cacao pod (BS). The results showed that all types of oils at a concentration of 5% in the KS and BS methods could kill mealybugs equivalent to deltamethrin. The smallest value of LC50 3 DAT is at the MSW (KS), while at 7 DAT, LC50 7 DAT is at MDG (BS). The fastest LT50 value is at MSW (KS) 5%, while in the BS method, the fastest LT50 value is on the MBKS 5%.

Efficacy of different insecticide formulations against red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) in stored rice

Among different storage pests, Tribolium castaneum is an important secondary pest. Insecticide formulations are being used as prophylactic and curative treatments to contain its menace. However, few insecticides are registered and used in warehouses. Among the six different synthetic insecticide formulations studied, significant protection against T. castaneum was obtained through the application of deltamethrin at 0.025% irrespective of exposure period.

Larvicidal Effect of Some Essential Oils Against Larvae of the European Pine Sawfly [Neodiprion Sertifer (Geoff.)

Many of the species that cause damage to pine trees by feeding on needle leaves, and trees without leaves may be vulnerable to secondary pests as well as increment loss. One of the important leaf pests that damage Turkish red pine (Pinus brutia) and the Anatolian Black pine (Pinus nigra A.Rich) in Turkey is the pine sawfly Neodiprion sertifer (Geoff.). Only mechanical and chemical control methods are carried out with this pest. Due to the negative effects of chemical control methods on the ecosystem and nature, alternative methods have come to the fore front in recent years. One of them is the use of essential oils against harmful insects. The aim of the study is determine to larvicidal effects of some essential oils against larvae of N. sertifer. To achieve of this aim our objective is applied three different dosages (0.1%, 0.5% and 1.0%) of essential oils obtained from Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Melissa officinalis and Origanum onites plants to the 4th and 5th instar larvae of pine sawfly. Trials were carried out in the laboratory under controlled conditions (25±5°C temperature and 65±5% proportional humidity). Dead larvae in each box were counted 12, 24, 36 and 48 hours after application. According to the application dosages, the highest deaths of N. sertifer larvae occurred at 1% doses of all three essential oils. It was observed that the larval mortality rates increased as the dosages increased. As a result, essential oils of all three plant species were found to be hopeful in the controlling of N. sertifer, of which essential oil of O.onites was found more effective on the 4th and 5th instar larvae than the essential oils of the other two plant species. They have shown that essential oils can be a potential alternative to synthetic insecticides in the control of pine sawfly.
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Outbreak and Insecticide Susceptibility of Pod Feeding-larvae on Cocoa in Ghana

Cocoa is an important foreign exchange earner and a major source of income for several households in Ghana. In 2018, a larval outbreak on cocoa pods was reported in Ghana. Although the origin is unknown, it was perceived to be a secondary pest outbreak. In this study, a survey was conducted in the outbreak areas to identify and determine the occurrence of the pest and its susceptibility to a commonly used insecticide. Field and laboratory studies were conducted to identify the pest, determine the level of infestation, insecticide susceptibility, and field management. The outbreak was mainly caused by larvae of Anomis leona (~96% infestation of cocoa trees in some communities) with extensive feeding damage (chewing channels/tunnels) on the pericarp of pods. Field populations of A. leona larvae from districts in the Central region subjected to bifenthrin were susceptible at the recommended field rate (0.0245%) for mirids after 48 h of exposure under laboratory conditions. The insecticide induced a median lethal concentration (LC50) of ≤0.0061% and ≤0.0018% on A. leona larvae from Jukwa and Twifo Praso in the Central region at 24 and 48 h of exposure, respectively. Field application of bifenthrin was able to suppress infestation. The findings show that Anomis larvae were responsible for the outbreak, inducing extensive damage on pods. Bifenthrin was toxic to the larvae and could be used to manage them on the field. The outbreak indicates the need to develop an integrated management and monitoring strategy for cocoa pests to minimize future outbreaks.

Drugstore Beetle Damage Pattern of Glue Paste-Lined Oil Paintings.

A glue paste lining is a traditional conservation treatment used to reinforce the aged canvas of oil paintings. Several insect infestation cases concerning glue paste-lined oil paintings have been reported around the world, particularly in European countries. In 2008, Chimei Museum, a private museum located in Tainan, Taiwan, was affected by a severe beetle infestation of oil paintings. To confirm the infesting insects and to quantify the damage pattern for further development of control and monitoring methods, three severely damaged paintings were examined along with the restoration procedure. A total of four insect species were collected. The drugstore beetle, Stegobium paniceum (L.) (Coleopter: Ptinidae), was the primary pest found in all three paintings investigated and was identified based on morphological and genetic data. Thrips and booklice were considered secondary pests, and a Pteromalid wasp was speculated to have a parasitic relationship with the drugstore beetle. Drugstore beetle larvae mainly bored into the glue paste layer and original canvas and required only 5.94 ± 1.38 mm3 of feed to grow from egg to pupa. Their bores were not evenly distributed, and most of them were found in the shaded area covered by the stretcher and outer frame. The body length of drugstore beetles varied, ranging from 1.67 to 2.75 mm, which may explain the various sizes of exit holes on gummed tape surrounding the frame. Detailed and quantified information on drugstore beetle's pattern of damage provided in this study will be beneficial for further developing conservation practices and inspection methods.

Eight Decades of Dalbulus maidis (DeLong & Wolcott) (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae) in Brazil: What We Know and What We Need to Know.

The corn leafhopper Dalbulus maidis (DeLong & Wolcott) is one of the most important maize (Zea mays L.) pests in Latin America because of its ability to efficiently transmit pathogens [maize bushy stunt phytoplasma (MBSP) and corn stunt spiroplasma-Spiroplasma kunkelli Whitcomb et al. (CSS)] associated with corn stunt disease complex and maize rayado fino virus (MRFV). This leafhopper species, considered a secondary pest until a few years ago, was first reported in Brazil in 1938. Since 2015, corn stunt diseases have been the main phytosanitary threat to corn production in Brazil, and D. maidis has assumed the status of a key pest of the crop. In this study, we gathered pertinent information about the corn leafhopper, from the time it was first recorded in Brazil. Aspects such as origin, association with maize, bioecology, geographical distribution in the Americas, and its congeners are addressed. We present a history of studies performed with this species in the country, its importance as a pest, host plants, and survival strategies during the maize off-season. Based on the available scientific knowledge, the main management strategies for insect vectors and diseases are discussed. Finally, the main knowledge gaps for this insect vector and the prospects for future studies and actions to mitigate the damage caused by insect vectors in maize crops in Brazil are presented and discussed.

Deficit Water Irrigation in an Almond Orchard Can Reduce Pest Damage

Irrigated almond orchards in Spain are increasing in acreage, and it is pertinent to study the effect of deficit irrigation on the presence of pests, plant damage, and other arthropod communities. In an orchard examined from 2017 to 2020, arthropods and diseases were studied by visual sampling under two irrigation treatments (T1, control and T2, regulated deficit irrigation (RDI)). Univariate analysis showed no influence of irrigation on the aphid Hyalopterus amygdali (Blanchard) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) population and damage, but Tetranychus urticae Koch (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae) damage on leaves was significantly less (50–60% reduction in damaged leaf area) in the T2 RDI treatment compared to the full irrigation T1 control in 2019 and 2020. Typhlocybinae (principal species Asymmetrasca decedens (Paoli) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)) population was also significantly lower under T2 RDI treatment. Chrysopidae and Phytoseiidae, important groups in the biological control of pests, were not affected by irrigation treatment. The most important diseases observed in the orchard were not, in general, affected by irrigation treatment. The multivariate principal response curves show significant differences between irrigation strategies in 2019 and 2020. In conclusion, irrigation schemes with restricted water use (such as T2 RDI) can help reduce the foliar damage of important pests and the abundance of other secondary pests in almond orchards.

Insect pest management in vegetable crops through trap cropping: Review

The study was carried out at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar during 2019 as the widespread use ofinsecticides to control crop pests has created various problems such as residues in the food chain, phytotoxicity,pesticide resistance, pest resurgence, bioaccumulation and secondary pest outbreak, in addition to causing harmfuleffect on the environment and non-targeted beneficial organisms. However, trap cropping is one such type of specialcompanion planting strategy that is traditionally used for insect pest management through vegetative diversificationused to attract insect pests away from the main crops during a critical time period by providing them an optionalpreferred choice. Trap cropping also has a tremendous potential to attract and conserve natural enemies in croppingsystems. The effect of attracting natural enemies may be an advantage compared to the other/conventional meansof pest control. Trap cropping can be integrated with other Integrated Pest Management (IPM) tactics. But trapcropping, like many other cultural tactics, remains under-exploited. Research on trap cropping has been very limited,and deserves more consideration to sustain agro-ecosystems throughout the world. In this review we have providedinformation based on trap cropping modalities and an updated list of trap cropping system in vegetable crops thatshould be proven as helpful in future trap cropping endeavors.

Resistance status of lepidopteran soybean pests following large-scale use of MON\xa087701\u2009\xd7\u2009MON\xa089788 soybean in Brazil

Widespread adoption of MON 87701 × MON 89788 soybean, expressing Cry1Ac Bt protein and glyphosate tolerance, has been observed in Brazil. A proactive program was implemented to phenotypically and genotypically monitor Cry1Ac resistance in Chrysodeixis includens (Walker). Recent cases of unexpected injury in MON 87701 × MON 89788 soybean were investigated and a large-scale sampling of larvae on commercial soybean fields was performed to assess the efficacy of this technology and the distribution of lepidopteran pests in Brazil. No significant shift in C. includens susceptibility to Cry1Ac was observed eight years after commercial introduction of this technology in Brazil. F2 screen results confirmed that the frequency of Cry1Ac resistance alleles remains low and stable in C. includens. Unexpected injury caused by Rachiplusia nu (Guenée) and Crocidosema aporema (Walsingham) in MON 87701 × MON 89788 soybean was detected during the 2020/21 season, and studies confirmed a genetically based alteration in their susceptibility to Cry1Ac. MON 87701 × MON 89788 soybean remains effective against Anticarsia gemmatalis (Hübner), C. includens, Chloridea virescents (Fabricius) and Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) in Brazil. However, there is evidence of field-evolved resistance to MON 87701 × MON 89788 soybean by the secondary soybean pests R. nu and C. aporema.

Investigation of secondary metabolites in bean cultivars and their impact on the nutritional performance of Spodoptera littoralis (Lep.: Noctuidae).

Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd) is globally recognized as a destructive polyphagous insect pest of various crops in the world. It is commonly managed by chemical pesticides, which can cause deleterious effects such as environmental pollution, toxicity to non-target organisms and the emergence of secondary pests. Hence, investigations into alternative pest control strategies such as the use of resistant host plant cultivar against S. littoralis is important. This study aimed to explore the nutritional performance of S. littoralis larvae in dependence on total anthocyanin, flavonoid, and phenol levels across 11 bean cultivars (Phaseolus and Vigna spp.) under laboratory conditions. The results revealed that the Mashhad cultivar accumulated the highest amount of total phenols (13.59 mg ml-1), whereas Yaghout and Arabi cultivars posed the lowest total phenols contents (1.80 and 1.90 mg ml-1, respectively). Across larval instars (third to sixth), the highest consumption index and relative consumption rate were recorded on the Mashhad cultivar. The lowest values of efficiency of conversion of ingested food and the efficiency of conversion of digested food of total larval instars were detected in the larvae which were reared on the Mashhad cultivar. Likewise, the lowest value of the index of plant quality (IPQ) was obtained in the Mashhad cultivar; however, IPQ was figured out at the highest level in the Arabi cultivar. Our findings show that the differential accumulation of secondary metabolites would change the nutritional quality of plants for S. littoralis. Based on the findings, the Mashhad cultivar may serve as a candidate for either integrated pest management or breeding programs aiming at controlling this pest.

First Report of the Larch Longhorn (Tetropium gabrieli Weise, Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Spondylidinae) on Larix spp. in Lithuania.

Simple SummaryTetropium gabrieli is a longhorn beetle that usually attacks weakened larch trees. During prolonged summer droughts, T. gabrieli can form outbreaks, causing damages to larch stands. Although it is known in several European countries, in Lithuania it was detected for the first time in 2019. The detection of T. gabrieli indicates potential secondary damages to European larch and other larch species growing in the area.Tetropium gabrieli is known to be native to the Alps in Europe where it breeds in European larch (Larix decidua), but it has spread to other areas and was reported in Poland, Sweden, Denmark and Belorussia. Although T. gabrieli is considered an important secondary pest of Larix spp., it can be particularly harmful to trees subjected to abiotic stress. Here we report that in Lithuania, T. gabrieli was for the first time captured in 2019 using sticky traps attached to Larix spp. trees. Two adult beetles were trapped at two different sites in central Lithuania, and this was in the period between 10th of May and 5th of June. Regarding potential threats caused by this insect pest, this new finding requires special attention, particularly on its biology, ecology, and local distribution.

English

Maize (Zea mays) is an important food crop in Nigeria, and it is fast becoming the most widely cultivated crop. Several efforts have been made by the Nigeria Government to make the country self-sufficiency in maize production, but some biotic and abiotic factors are impeding this achievement. Among the biotic constraints militating against maize production in Nigeria, armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is most devastating in recent times.  The larvae of this insect pest are the culprits that caused damage to maize plants. They leave several feeding holes on the leaf lamina of the crop, giving maize tattered appearance. The infestation level by armyworm on the field experienced by maize growers in recent times calls for great concern in Nigeria. This outbreak is not out of mere coincidence, but a result of numerous factors which is chiefly driven by climate change. Climatic change over the years has altered temperature, moisture, relative humidity and CO2 concentration in our ecosystem. These changes seem to favour the proliferation of pests, even making secondary pests like armyworm to become a major pest of maize in Nigeria and Africa at large. In this paper, we reviewed the biology of armyworm, the influence of climate change on pest prevalence and some control measures for coping with armyworm infestation. Integrated pest management was advocated as the most sustainable management approach. Key words: Armyworm, temperature, rainfall, maize, integrated pest management.

Natural Enemies Associated with Brevipalpus sp. (Acari: Tenuipalpidae), Vector of Citrus Leprosis

Natural Enemies Associated with <i>Brevipalpus</i> sp. (Acari: Tenuipalpidae), Vector of Citrus Leprosis

Feeding substrate and temperature interplay determining infestations and losses by the sawtoothed grain beetle (Oryzaephilussurinamensis)

Sawtoothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) (Coleoptera: Silvanidae), is a secondary pest of stored products and one of the serious insect pests of cereal grains, commodities and packaged food throughout the world. However, this species is a concern beyond cereal grains, what may be differentially affected by temperature. Therefore, insect developmental time, larva and pupa survival, and adult emergence of O. surinamensis were assessed on different substrates (rice, sesame and date palm) at different temperatures (20, 25, 30 and 35 °C and 65% r.h). The substrate loss incurred by this insect infestation was also recorded. The larval stage was the main determinant for the overall developmental time of the sawtoothed grain beetle, regardless of the substrate and temperature tested. Adult emergence was affected by substrate (F2,48 = 4.50, P = 0.02) and particularly temperature (F3,48 = 24.94, P < 0.001), but not their interaction (F6,48 = 0.40, P = 0.87), exhibiting little variation until reaching 30 °C, but with a quick decline at 35 °C. The performance of the insects in rice was better, and worse in dry date. Furthermore, the survival was inversely related to substrate loss, regardless of the substrate used for rearing the sawtoothed grain beetle. Thus, substrate and temperature range are major determinants of sawtoothed grain beetle infestation with consequences for this species management.

Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds from Tempered and Incubated Grain Mediate Attraction by a Primary but Not Secondary Stored Product Insect Pest in Wheat

There has been a dearth of research elucidating the behavioral effect of microbially-produced volatile organic compounds on insects in postharvest agriculture. Demonstrating attraction to MVOC’s by stored product insects would provide an additional source of unique behaviorally-relevant stimuli to protect postharvest commodities at food facilities. Here, we assessed the behavioral response of a primary (Rhyzopertha dominica) and secondary (Tribolium castaneum) grain pest to bouquets of volatiles produced by whole wheat that were untempered, or tempered to 12%, 15%, or 19% grain moisture and incubated for 9, 18, or 27 days. We hypothesized that MVOC’s may be more important for the secondary feeder because they signal that otherwise unusable, intact grains have become susceptible by weakening of the bran. However, contrary to our expectations, we found that the primary feeder, R. dominica, but not T. castaneum was attracted to MVOC’s in a wind tunnel experiment, and in a release-recapture assay using commercial traps baited with grain treatments. Increasing grain moisture resulted in elevated grain damage detected by near-infrared spectroscopy and resulted in small but significant differences in the blend of volatiles emitted by treatments detected by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC–MS). In sequencing the microbial community on the grain, we found a diversity of fungi, suggesting that an assemblage was responsible for emissions. We conclude that R. dominica is attracted to a broader suite of MVOC’s than T. castaneum, and that our work highlights the importance of understanding insect-microbe interactions in the postharvest agricultural supply chain.

Assessing the temporal dynamics of Frankliniella schultzei (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in commercial soybean crops in North Brazil

Abstract Thrips are considered a secondary pest of soybean in Brazil, but high densities have been noticed since the last harvests (2017/18 and 2018/19), yet no study has provided an initial hypothesis regarding the causes of such events. We aimed to identify some of the factors related to Frankliniella schultzei Trybom (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) temporal dynamics in commercial soybean crops located in Tocantins (Northern Brazil). We undertook evaluations during soybean vegetative, flowering, and fruiting stages on 200 plants per field in each sampling date (n = 22). Our results indicated that the densities of F. schultzei were similar among fields and soybean phenological stages. The density of thrips showed a significant negative relationship with rainfall, but it was not related to either air temperature, photoperiod, relative humidity, or wind speed. The predators' density was less than 170 individuals (summing all assessments), and it was not associated with thrips density. This study indicates rainfall as the leading factor associated with the temporal dynamics of F. schultzei in commercial soybean crops.

English

The saw-toothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (Linnaeus) is a secondary pest of rice grains and other stored products. Lack of information on the population abundance, spatial, and temporal distribution of O. surinamensis rendered the management control strategy of this pest species less effective. The objective of this study was to investigate the abundance, spatial and temporal pattern of O. surinamensis populations from nine rice warehouses in three zones of Peninsular Malaysia (i.e., the northern, central and southern zones) for three continuous months. The results showed that the abundance of O. surinamensis populations varied significantly (p&lt;0.05, p= 0.00) between zones, with the highest abundance for this species (69%) recorded from the Klang District, in the central zone, followed by Pasir Gudang (27%) in the southern zone, and Seberang Prai (4%) in the northern zone. The patterns of population abundance also showed significant differences between months, p&lt;0.05 (p-value= 0.00-0.011) between all the warehouses. The factors that could be associated with the highest abundance of the pest were attributed to poor sanitation at the warehouses and inconsistency in the fumigation regime. For the spatial distribution analysis, SADIEShell_122 and Surfer8 software were applied. The distribution patterns of O. surinamensis populations varied significantly in all the warehouses, being significantly aggregated at p&lt;0.05 (p=0.0385-0.0513) and Ia&gt;1.0 (1.212-1.579), whilst being non-significantly and randomly distributed at p&gt;0.05 (p=0.1154-0.91032) and Ia&gt;1.0 (0.852- 0.929). The significance of the aggregation might be due to the rapidly changing volume of the rice stock caused by the active and rapid turnover of the storage inventory. The results obtained were very valuable and informative in managing O. surinamensis infestation of stored rice by incorporating the spatial and temporal information of the pest populations in the management strategy for improving the rice and other stored products.

Haplotype Analysis and Phylogeny of Oryzaephilus surinamensis Populations from Four Regions in Peninsular Malaysia

The sawtoothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis, is a secondary pest that damages rice products and other stored grains. Analysis based on the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences data, the number of haplotypes (Hap) (n), haplotype diversity (Hd), haplotype network, genetic distance, and phylogeny between O. surinamensis populations from four regions (small-scale), viz. the northern area (Seberang Perai), middle area (Klang), southern area (Pasir Gudang), and east coast (Kuantan) of Peninsular Malaysia, as model sampling locations, were obtained. A total of five haplotypes were detected in all the test populations, two shared (Haplotype 1 and Haplotype 3) and three unique haplotypes (Haplotype 2, Haplotype 4, and Haplotype 5) with haplotype diversity value, Hd = 0.6789 were recorded. Furthermore, the neighbour-joining (NJ), maximum parsimony (MP), and Bayesian inference (BI) trees showed a mixture of individuals from all regions in Peninsular Malaysia (Haplotype 1 to Haplotype 4), except Haplotype 5, which was grouped with foreign populations that inherited similar haplotype with those of the European samples. This study assumed a mixture of populations presumably due to human activities and related explicitly to the exportation and importation of rice products across regions. This information is vital for strategising the control management of this pest species to reduce rice storage losses.