Occurrence of Arthropods in a Central Italy feed-mill

Abstract

This paper deals with the Arthropods fauna collected by bait and pheromone traps and categorized during one-year study in a Central Italy feed-mill.

A total of 17,919 Arthropods were collected: Arachnida, Isopoda and Insecta. In the Arachnida we found mites, pseudoscorpions and mostly spiders; while in the Isopoda the only species noted wasPorcellio scaber (Latreille); in the Insecta 9 orders and 33 determined species were associated with the feed-mill: Collembola, Thysanura, Dermaptera, Psocoptera, Rhynchota, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera and Hymenoptera.

In the order Lepidoptera about 55% of the insects were collected. Eight species of stored product Lepidoptera were cuaght:Ephestia kuehniella. Zeller, was the most abundant and wide-spread in the feed-mill (with 8,230 males, 83.53% of Lepidoptera trapped) followed byPlodia interpunctella (Hübner), (1,415 males) andEphestia elutella, (Hübner), (161 males). Coleopterans made up 40.43% of the insects collected.Tribolium confusum J. Du Val, was the most abundant and widespread in the feed-mill (with 5,451 specimens, 75.23% of Coleoptera trapped); less abundant wereOryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) (752 specimens),Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (359 specimens),Attagenus brunneus Fald. (223 specimens),Stegobium paniceum (L.) (156 specimens) andSitophilus oryzae (L.) (118 specimens).

Arthropods infestation level found during this survey were probably directly proportional to the amount of debris present in the departments.

Because of these and other peculiarities, the feed-mill staff have to be continually alert to prevent, detect, and control pest problems within their work environment.