Harmfulness of two species of weevils (Sitophilus granarius L. and Sitophilus zeamais Motsch.) on different maize hybrids

Abstract

Storage pests are pests adapted to living indoors, where their entire life cycle occurs on stored agricultural products. Nowadays, insects within storage facilities are the main problem in the storage process. Storage systems such as silos, warehouses, and containers are perfect habitats for insects that feed on stored food because they are protected from weather extremes, have unrestricted access to large food sources, and can live continuously for long periods of time. The objective of this study was to determine the intensity of damage by granary (Sitophilus granarius L.) and maize (Sitophilus zeamais Motsch.) weevils on field maize and popcorn and their biological potential over 20 weeks of the storage process. During the study, physical properties of maize (weight, hectolitre weight, moisture and sample weight) and changes in population density of weevils were measured. The results showed differential susceptibility of maize hybrids to weevil feeding. No differences were found between weevil species in terms of the damage they caused. Popcorn does not favor weevil feeding, resulting in low grain damage and high mortality rates for both weevil species. In contrast to popcorn, field corn favors both weevil feeding and weevil reproductive potential, ultimately decreasing grain mass and quality and making it unsuitable for human and livestock consumption. More susceptible field maize can be selected for shorter storage time and thus faster delivery to market.

Keywords

• corn
• granary weevil
• hybrids
• maize weevil
• nutrition
• storage pests