Management of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) based on hue response

Abstract

Possibilities for the management of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) on stored products using coloured lighting systems was assessed in this study. Adult beetles were exposed in a choice chamber to red, blue, green, and clear tungsten light. T. castaneum adults preferred tungsten, blue, and green lights, and avoided red light. For each colour, beetles were separately reared for 3 generations. Beetles preferred the colour in which they were reared, except for red, which was avoided even by the beetles reared in a red-coloured environment for 3 generations under duress. These beetles moved towards clear tungsten light in a choice chamber. It is evident that red light is not preferred by T. castaneum adults; they always moved away from environments exposed to red light. Thus, if storage areas are lit red, T. castaneum beetles could be managed without the use of chemical pesticides. An SDS-PAGE of whole body proteins showed varying patterns in T. castaneum sixth instar grubs reared in differently coloured environments. © TÜBİTAK.