Effect of different food plants on the reproduction and life table parameters of adult Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)
Author of the article:ZENG Zhao-Hua1, 2** LIN Tao1, 2** CHEN Yi-Xin1, 2 CHEN Yong1, 2 ZHAO Jian-Wei1, 2 TIAN Hou-Jun1
Author's Workplace:(1. Institute of Plant Protection, Fujian Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Fuzhou 350013, China; 2. Fujian Key Laboratory for Monitoring and Integrated Management of Crop Pests, Fuzhou 350003, China)
Key Words:vegetable; Tenebrio molitor; reproduction; life table parameters
Abstract:
[Objectives] To identify new food plants that can improve the
reproductive capacity of captive-raised Tenebrio
molitor, reduce the energy consumption and cost of breeding this species in
captivity, and increase production and profits. [Methods] Six vegetable
species, Raphanus sativus, Solanum tuberosum, Brassica chinensis, Daucus
carota, Ipomoea aquatica, and Cucumis sativus, were assessed as
alternative foods for T. molitor. [Results] The longevity, reproduction, and life table parameters of T. molitor adults raised on these
different plants was quantified and compared. Although adults fed on D. carota and C. sativus had the greatest longevity and longest oviposition period,
their intrinsic (rm) and finite rate of increase (l) were the lowest, and the
doubling time of the population (t)
was significantly longer than that of adults fed on other food plants. The total
fecundity of adults fed on R. sativus, S. tuberosum, B. chinensis, and D. carota was
significantly higher than that of those fed on other food plants, however, the
daily fecundity of adults fed on D. carota was significantly lower than
that of those fed on the other food plants. There were no significant
differences in the mean generation time (T), rm, t, and l of
adults fed on R. sativus, S. tuberosum, B. chinensis, and I. aquatica; however, the net reproductive
rate (R0) and fecundity of those fed on I. aquatica was significantly lower than
those fed on the other food plants and the proportion of male offspring was the
highest among all six treatments. [Conclusion] Feeding T. molitor on R. sativus, S. tuberosum, and B. chinensis can improve the reproductive capacity and population growth rate of this
insect.