Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T07:30:51.632Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Length of life, fecundity and the oviposition cycle in Anthrenus verbasci (L.) (Col., Dermestidae) as affected by adult diet

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

G. M. Blake
G. M. Blake
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Council, Pest Infestation Laboratory, Slough, Bucks.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

A study has been made of the length of life, fecundity, oviposition and the effects upon them of adult nutrition in the varied carpet beetle, Anthrenus verbasci (L.).

The length of the inactive (unmated) life for males and females at 20°C. and 70 per cent. R.H. was 7·5 and 7·7 days, respectively. This period, which is spent in the moulted last larval skin, decreased with rise in temperature, from a mean of 32·4 days at 10°C. to 3·8 days at 25°C. Humidity differences had relatively little effect.

The effects of various diets on the length of life, oviposition cycle and fecundity of active adults were observed. The experimental diets were water, water with pollen, water with albumen, sugar solution, sugar solution with pollen, sugar solution with albumen, and the control group in which the beetles were deprived of food and water. The sugar solution was a mixture of equal parts of glucose, sucrose and fructose in water.

There were no differences in length of life between male and female beetles (males 18·2–20·9 days, females 22·1–26·1 days) given water, water with pollen, water with albumen and those deprived of food and water. But there was an increase for both sexes when the beetles were given sugar solution, and a further increase, to a mean of 58·3 days for males and 69·5 for females at 20°C. and 70–90 per cent. R.H., when albumen was added to the sugar solution. However, although sugar solution with pollen increases still further the length of life of the males, that of the females was no different from what it was on sugar solution alone.

The preoviposition period ranged from 3–14 days with a mode about the fourth day.

The oviposition cycle consisted of three clearly denned peaks of oviposition on about the 6th, 12th and 17th days. There was a similar pattern in all the groups except that those given sugar solution continued to lay, at a low rate, after the end of the third peak.

The fecundity of beetles deprived of food and water was 50·3 eggs; for beetles given water, water with albumen and water with pollen there was a significant decrease; for beetles given sugar solution there was an increase which became significant when pollen or albumen were given in addition to the sugar. Maximum fecundity occurred on a diet of sugar solution with albumen.

There was significant correlation between length of life and weight on emergence for males given water, water with pollen, or water with albumen, and for females given water with pollen or water with albumen. There was significant correlation between fecundity and emergence weight for females deprived of food and water, given water alone and water with pollen.

Type
Research Paper
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 52 , Issue 3 , October 1961 , pp. 459 - 472
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1961

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Blake, G. M. (1958). Diapause and the regulation of development in Anthrenus verbasci (L.) (Col., Dermestidae).—Bull. ent. Res. 49 pp. 751–775.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blake, G. M. (1959). Control of diapause by an ‘internal clock’ in Anthrenus verbasci (L.) (Col., Dermestidae).—Nature, Lond. 183 pp. 126–127.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dick, J. (1937). Oviposition in certain Coleoptera.—Ann. appl. Biol. 24 pp. 762–796.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fisher, R. A. (1946). Statistical methods for research workers.—10th edn., 354 pp. Edinburgh, Oliver & Boyd.Google Scholar
Fraenkel, G. (1936). Utilisation of sugars and polyhydric alcohols by the adult blowfly.—Nature, Lond. 137 pp. 237–238.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Glaser, R. W. (1923). The effect of food on longevity and reproduction in flies.—J. exp. Zool. 38 pp. 383–412.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goulden, C. H. (1939). Methods of statistical analysis.—277 pp. London, Chapman & Hall.Google Scholar
Griswold, G. H. (1941). Studies on the biology of four common carpet beetles. Part 1. The black carpet beetle (Attagenus piceus Oliv.), the varied carpet beetle (Athrenus verbasci L.), and the furniture carpet beetle (Anthrenus vorax Waterh.).—Mem. Cornell agric. Exp. Sta. no. 240 pp. 1–57, 70–75.Google Scholar
Kalandadze, L. (1927). Über die Biologie des Museumskäfers Anthrenus verbasci L. und seine Bekämpfung.—Z. angew. Ent. 13 pp. 301–311.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kiritani, K. (1958 a). The ecological study of adult of Anthrenus verbasci L. [In Japanese with English summary.]—Botyu-Kagaku 23 pp. 92–98.Google Scholar
Kiritani, K. (1958 b). Factors influencing the development of Anthrenus verbasci L. [In Japanese with English summary.]—Botyu-Kagaku 23 pp. 137–146.Google Scholar
Kunike, G. (1939). Neuere Ergebnisse über die Eiablage und Generationsfolge der Anthrenus-Axien. Vorläufige Mitteilung.—Anz. Schädlingsk. 15 pp. 80–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kuwana, Z. (1950). Reversal of phototropism and oviposition-habit of the adults of Anthrenus verbasci (Dermestidae). [In Japanese with English summary.]—Oyo-Dobuts.-Zasshi 16 pp. 78–81.Google Scholar
Larson, A. O. & Fisher, C. K. (1924). Longevity and fecundity of Bruchus quadrimaculatus Fab. as influenced by different foods.—J. agric. Res. 29 pp. 297–305.Google Scholar
Norris, M. J. (1934). Contributions towards the study of insect fertility. III. Adult nutrition, fecundity and longevity in the genus Ephestia (Lepidoptera, Phycitidae).—Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 1934 pp. 333–360.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Todd, F. E. & Bretherick, O. (1942). The composition of pollens.—J. econ. Ent. 35 pp. 312–317.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woodroffe, G. E. (1953). An ecological study of the insects and mites in the nests of certain birds in Britain.—Bull. ent. Res. 44 pp. 739–772.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woodroffe, G. E. & Southgate, B. J. (1954). An investigation of the distribution and field habits of the varied carpet beetle, Anthrenus verbasci (L.) (Col., Dermestidae) in Britain, with comparative notes on A. fuscus Ol. and A. museorum (L.).—Bull. ent. Res. 45 pp. 575–583.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yokoyama, K. (1929). Studies on the Japanese Dermestidae. II. Morphology and biology of Anthrenus (Nathrenus) verbasci L. [In Japanese.]—Rep. seric. Exp. Sta. 7 pp. 425–476. (Rev. appl. Ent. (A) 17p. 705.)Google Scholar