Effect of Tribolium castaneum in Qualitative and Quantitative Contamination with Fungi

Abstract

Sadek Jafar Tuama, Sadek Thajeb Ali, Zainb Hthdy

The objective of this study was to estimate the quantitative contamination fungi in sound whole flour that infested with red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum under the effect of different numerical levels of insect, which are (5, 10, 20) pairs in the level of contamination. The study was accomplished under a temperature 30±2 0C and humidity 70 ±5%. The result showed the following. 13 species of fungus which belong to five genera were isolated from sound and infested whole flour samples with three numerical levels of the insect. These were (5, 10, 20) pairs and for two generations. The species isolated were: Aspergillus flavesus, A niger, A. terreus, Mucor hiemalis, Alternaria Alternaria, Paecilomyces Sp. Penicillium sp1, Penicillium sp2. Whereas at the two numerical levels (10, 20) pairs of insects, the fungus species Sterils mycelia, A.ustus, Emericella sp, Sepedonium sp. were isolated.
The more frequently fungus in the samples of infested flour in the level 20 pairs of insects was A. flavus. Its frequency was (47.37%), also in level 5 pairs of the fungus A niger, which frequency ratio was (42, 58%). In the sound flour samples the more frequency. A. fumigates in level 5 pairs of insects which its frequency was (34, 48%) and in level 20 pairs of insects was the fungus A. niger which its frequency was (66.6%).The results showed that the rate of numerical of fungi increased with increasing levels of numbers of the insects ,the highest rate of fungus numerical was recorded in infested whole flours at the numerical level 10 pairs of insects was (31.41X10)2 colony/ gm. While their average numbers were (15.83×102) colony /gm at level 5 pairs of insects. It was observed that the average number of fungus in flour insects was higher than their numbers in sound flour.