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The movement abilities and resource location behaviour of Tribolium castaneum: phosphine resistance and its genetic influences

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Abstract

Resistance to the fumigant phosphine has been demonstrated to impact on the dispersal abilities of the stored product pest Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). A series of behavioural bioassays were conducted in a wind tunnel to further investigate whether the fitness consequences of phosphine resistance on flight propensity and resource localisation could be influenced by attractive odours or individual factors such as mating status. The movement of four T. castaneum genotypes was assessed: (1) field-derived phosphine-susceptible beetles, (2) laboratory-cultured, phosphine-susceptible beetles, (3) laboratory-cultured, phosphine-resistant beetles and (4) resistant introgressed beetles that are almost identical genetically to the laboratory-susceptible population. Odour preference was similar across all four genotypes as the commercially available T. castaneum aggregation pheromone and cotton seeds appeared to be stronger motivators for movement compared to whole wheat flour. Unmated beetles clearly responded more strongly to the aggregation pheromone lure compared to mated beetles, as mated beetles located resources less frequently and took longer to locate resources. However, no significant difference was observed in the flight response of mated and unmated beetles towards the aggregation pheromone lure. Phosphine resistance status of individual beetles affected their resource localisation abilities and their flight activity negatively. Our results demonstrated pleiotropic effects of phosphine-resistant genes on the movement behaviour of T. castaneum, and this has implications for the spread and development of phosphine resistance outside of phosphine application sites.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the support of the Australian Government’s Australia–India Strategic Research Fund (GCF010006) for the project “Ensuring food security: harnessing science to protect our grain harvest from insect threats” under which the research and analysis were completed. RM is thankful for the funding provided by an International Scholarship from the University of Queensland towards her PhD studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia

    Rokhsareh Malekpour, Michelle A. Rafter & Gimme H. Walter

  2. Health and Biosecurity, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, QLD, 4001, Australia

    Michelle A. Rafter

  3. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland, EcoSciences Precinct, GPO Box 267, Brisbane, QLD, 4001, Australia

    Gregory J. Daglish

Authors
  1. Rokhsareh Malekpour
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  2. Michelle A. Rafter
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  3. Gregory J. Daglish
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  4. Gimme H. Walter
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Correspondence to Rokhsareh Malekpour.

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Communicated by C. G. Athanassiou.

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Malekpour, R., Rafter, M.A., Daglish, G.J. et al. The movement abilities and resource location behaviour of Tribolium castaneum: phosphine resistance and its genetic influences. J Pest Sci 91, 739–749 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-017-0935-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-017-0935-z

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