Hashim Ali El Atta

Effect of diet and seed pretreatment on the biology of Bruchidius uberatus (Coleoptera, Bruchidae)

El Atta H. A. (2000). Effect of diet and seed pretreatment on the biology of Bruchidius uberatus (Coleoptera, Bruchidae). Silva Fennica vol. 34 no. 4 article id 624. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.624

Abstract

Diet significantly (P < 0.0001) affected fecundity of Bruchidius uberatus Fahraeus. Provision of 1% sugar solution increased fecundity from 15 eggs/female to 47. Furthermore, sugar solution prolonged significantly the oviposition period of B. uberatus from one week to two weeks. Diet also significantly (P < 0.0001) increased adult longevity. Mean adult longevity recorded was 3, 7 and 13 days in control, water and sugar treatments, respectively. Seed pretreatment had a highly significant impact on the various developmental stages of B. uberatus. Maximum egg hatchability occurred in non-husked Acacia nilotica (L.) Willd. ex Del. seeds (83%), moderate in de-husked seeds (74%) and least in seeds presoaked in concentrated sulphuric acid (42%). The frequency of larvae that developed successfully into pupae was greatest in non-husked seeds (72%), nevertheless in de-husked and acid pretreated seeds, absolutely no larvae developed into pupae and hence the adult stage was not reached in these two treatments. Thus, de-husking and acid pretreatment of A. nilotica seeds is highly recommended.

Keywords
Bruchidius uberatus; Bruchidae; Acacia nilotica; seed borer biology

Received 4 June 1999 Accepted 25 September 2000 Published 31 December 2000

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