Rapid detection of rusty grain beetles (Coleoptera: Cucujidae) from wheat samples passing through a mechanical dockage tester

Abstract

A dockage tester (Carter dockage tester, Hart-Carter Co., Minneapolis, MN) was set up to clean wheat in accordance to Canadian grain industry guidelines and several running conditions. Under all conditions, 84–91% of adults and 57–81% of larvae of the rusty grain beetle, Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens) (Coleoptera: Cucujidae) were recovered from infested 1-kg samples in the aspirator discharge pan. All immature insects implanted in the germ of wheat kernels remained within the kernels, and were found within the bulk of the cleaned whole wheat. It is therefore possible to monitor the aspirator discharge pan of cleaned wheat samples for rapid detection of most free-living C. ferrugineus to limit infested grain from entering primary elevators. Key words: Cryptolestes, detection, dockage tester, Insecta, rusty grain beetle, wheat