Abstract
Summary The consequences of infestation of stored wheat by the rusty grain beetle, Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens) was determined for 222 d at 30°C in 70‐1 drums containing wheat at 13.5% moisture content. Temperature, grain moisture, seed damage, germination and weight, dust weight, fat acidity values (FAV), published data on growth, reproduction, survival and cannibalism rates and energy budget were used to develop a computer simulation model to simulate the population dynamics of C. ferrugineus at 30°C. In the insect‐free control system, the fungi, Alternaria alternata decreased, Aspergillus glaucus group and Penicillium spp. increased, probably causing a rise in FAV of the grain. In the insect‐infested system, C. ferrugineus could only eat the wheat germ of kernels that had a broken bran layer; 35.7% of the wheat germ or 914.6 J per 100 kernels was consumed. Within two generations after initial introduction, C. ferrugineus reached a peak in numbers and biomass polluting the ecosystem with excreta and remains, and accelerating the deteriorative process observed in the insect‐free control system by increasing respiration temperature, FAV and reducing grain germination. After 87 d, the insect population declined to low levels. The simulation model provided a close match between the observed and predicted numbers of insect life stages and bioenergetic variables during the insect population growth phase. Simulation trials suggested that cannibalism of larger compared with smaller immature stages would be more wasteful of developmental time and energy, reducing the number of individuals reaching reproductive age, and that density‐dependent fecundity was probably not an important regulatory mechanism of C. ferrugineus population dynamics in this study.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Alternaria alternata decreased in insect-free wheat storage.
- Taxon
- Alternaria alternata
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Alternaria alternatae0 - Outcome
- Alternaria alternatae0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“In the insect‐free control system, the fungi, Alternaria alternata decreased”
Claim · model-written summary
Aspergillus glaucus group and Penicillium spp. increased in insect-free wheat storage.
- Taxon
- Aspergillus glaucus group and Penicillium spp.
PenicilliumAspergillus glaucuse0 - Outcome
- Aspergillus glaucus group and Penicillium spp.e0
- Direction
- increasede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Aspergillus glaucus group and Penicillium spp. increased”
Claim · model-written summary
C. ferrugineus ate germ only from wheat kernels with broken bran.
- Taxon
- wheat
Triticum aestivume0 - Interactor
- C. ferrugineus
Cryptolestes ferrugineuse0pest - Outcome
- wheat germ of kernelse0
- Qualifier
- broken bran layere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“C. ferrugineus could only eat the wheat germ of kernels that had a broken bran layer”
Claim · model-written summary
The beetle consumed 35.7% of wheat germ, or 914.6 J per 100 kernels.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Outcome
- wheat germe0
- Value
- 35.7%e0
- Qualifier
- 914.6 J per 100 kernelse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“35.7% of the wheat germ or 914.6 J per 100 kernels was consumed.”
t0“stored wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Beetle numbers and biomass peaked within two generations.
- Taxon
- C. ferrugineusCryptolestes ferrugineuse0
- Outcome
- numbers and biomasse0
- Direction
- peake0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Within two generations after initial introduction, C. ferrugineus reached a peak in numbers and biomass”
Claim · model-written summary
Beetle infestation increased respiration temperature and fat acidity values in stored wheat.
- Treatment
- insect‐infested systeme0
- Outcome
- respiration temperature, FAVe0
- Direction
- increasinge0
- Comparator
- insect‐free control systeme0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“In the insect‐infested system, C. ferrugineus could only eat the wheat germ of kernels that had a broken bran layer; 35.7% of the wheat germ or 914.6 J per 100 kernels was consumed. Within two generations after initial introduction, C. ferrugineus reached a peak in numbers and biomass polluting the ecosystem with excreta and remains, and accelerating the deteriorative process observed in the insect‐free control system by increasing respiration temperature, FAV and reducing grain germination.”
t0“stored wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Beetle infestation reduced wheat grain germination.
- Treatment
- insect‐infested systeme0
- Outcome
- grain germinatione0
- Direction
- reducinge0
- Comparator
- insect‐free control systeme0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“In the insect‐infested system, C. ferrugineus could only eat the wheat germ of kernels that had a broken bran layer; 35.7% of the wheat germ or 914.6 J per 100 kernels was consumed. Within two generations after initial introduction, C. ferrugineus reached a peak in numbers and biomass polluting the ecosystem with excreta and remains, and accelerating the deteriorative process observed in the insect‐free control system by increasing respiration temperature, FAV and reducing grain germination.”
t0“stored wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
The beetle population declined to low levels after 87 days.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“After 87 d, the insect population declined to low levels.”
t0“Cryptolestes ferrugineus”
Claim · model-written summary
The simulation closely matched observed insect stage counts and bioenergetic variables during population growth.
- Outcome
- close matche0
- Comparator
- observed and predicted numbers of insect life stages and bioenergetic variablese0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“The simulation model provided a close match between the observed and predicted numbers of insect life stages and bioenergetic variables during the insect population growth phase.”
t0“Cryptolestes ferrugineus”
Claim · model-written summary
Simulations suggested cannibalism of larger immature stages would reduce survival to reproductive age.
- Taxon
- C. ferrugineusCryptolestes ferrugineuse0
- Outcome
- number of individuals reaching reproductive agee0
- Direction
- reducinge0
- Comparator
- smaller immature stagese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Simulation trials suggested that cannibalism of larger compared with smaller immature stages would be more wasteful of developmental time and energy, reducing the number of individuals reaching reproductive age, and that density‐dependent fecundity was probably not an important regulatory mechanism of C. ferrugineus population dynamics in this study.”
Claim · model-written summary
Simulations suggested density-dependent fecundity was probably not an important regulator of beetle populations.
- Taxon
- C. ferrugineusCryptolestes ferrugineuse0
- Outcome
- population dynamicse0
- Qualifier
- probably not an important regulatory mechanisme0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“density‐dependent fecundity was probably not an important regulatory mechanism of C. ferrugineus population dynamics in this study.”