Elimination of the Common Bean Weevil Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) by Hermetic Storage of Dry Common Bean at Different Moisture Contents

• Published in: Journal of Entomological Research Society Vol. 16; no. 2; p. 13
• Main Authors: García-Perea, Marco Antonio, Jiménez-Ambríz, Sergio, Castillo-González, Fernando, Méndez-Albores, Abraham, Moreno-Martínez, Ernesto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ankara Journal of the Entomological Research Society 01.01.2014
• Subjects: Acanthoscelides obtectus; Atmosphere; Beans; Bruchidae; Carbon dioxide; Coleoptera; Fabaceae; Grain; Insects; Laboratories; Moisture content; Pesticides; Phaseolus vulgaris; Potassium; Rural areas
• ISSN: 1302-0250

The objective of this research was to determine the required storage time as well as the dry common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L., Fabaceae) moisture content, to favor oxygen depletion and carbon dioxide increment for elimination of all stadia of the common bean weevil Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae). Experimental units with 150 g of dry bean (with moisture content around 10, 12, and 16%) infested with 20 adult insects were stored 21 d under hermetic and non-hermetic conditions. Oxygen/carbon dioxide levels, moisture content, insect mortality of initial infestation, emergence of the insects from the first generation (F^sub 1^), and percentage of damaged dry bean were registered. In non-hermetic storage, the dry bean presented up to 395 insects from F^sub 1^; and with damage up to 51.1%. Oxygen and carbon dioxide levels which did not allow the development (F^sub 1^ emergence) of A. obtectus and the subsequent damage to the dry bean were between 0.5-3.5% and 8.9-9.7%, respectively.