The effect of temperature, humidity and quantity of food on the development and diapause of Trogoderma parabile Beal.

Abstract

The rate of development and the egg-production of the Dermestid beetle, Trogoderma parabile Beal, at 30°C. and 60 to 70 per cent. R.H. and the effect upon larval development of the volume of food, the temperature and the relative humidity have been determined.In 15 to 450 cc. of wheatfeed at 30°C. and 60 to 70 per cent. E.H., active adults are formed from eggs in a mean of 39 days (egg 6, larva 26, pupa 5 and pre-emergence 2). Males develop slightly more rapidly than females. On average, a female adult lives 8 days and 53 of her offspring reach maturity. The weekly rate of increase of a population of stable age distribution (A) is × l·7.At temperatures between 17·5 and 37·5°C. (and at 70 per cent. R.H.) and at humidities between near 0 and 90 per cent. R.H. (and 30°C.) larvae can grow to a large size; but in 0·7 to 25 cc. of food some of these large larvae enter a facultative diapause, as a result of restricted space. Disturbance of the food increases the proportion of diapause larvae. The diapause larvae feed and moult intermittently. At 30°C. and 60–70 per cent. R.H., a period of seven weeks after hatching has been adopted arbitrarily to distinguish diapause and non-diapause larvae. Only a limited success was obtained in breaking the diapause, which is less readily broken than that of T. granarium Everts.