New Food Medium for Rearing Tribolium Castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Abstract

Tribolium castaneum, the red flour beetle, is basically a granivorous insect species having a broad host range. The rearing media affects convenient handling of insects while its composition determines the success of progeny adult emergence. The objective of this research was to develop a food medium for rearing L casfa neum using dietary materials available at the local market and test the same for their success in producing the progeny. Wheat flour, crushed broiler feed, crushed dog feed and com flour were used either alone or in different combinations. Unsexed adults of T. castaneum were introduced to eactr medium, maintained tor 2 weeks and sifted out. The progeny adults emerged varied among rearing media tested. The medium that contained wheat flour, crushed dog feed and crushed broiler feed at 2:1 .1 ratio produced the maximum adult progeny.ln general, poor adult emergence was observed in wheat flour and corn flour when used alone or in combinations. No progeny was observed when corn flour was used alone. Future studies on the nutrient composition of the food medium that produced higher progeny adults would ensure further development of rearing media for L casfa neum.