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Genitalia of A. diaperinus adults: female ovipositor:protracted, lateral (a), and ventral views (b, c); male aedeagus:retracted, lateral, and ventral views (d); protracted, ventral (e, f), and lateral views (g). Ad, aedeagus; Ov, ovipositor.
Source publication
The lesser mealworm,
Alphitobius diaperinus
(Panzer), is a perennial pest of poultry facilities and known to transmit pathogens of poultry and humans. Ongoing research examining reservoir potential of
A. diaperinus
revealed the need for a comprehensive, user-friendly guide for determining sex of
A. diaperinus
at different stadia. This paper is uniq...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... Genitalia. Images of A. diaperinus genitalia ( Figure 4) improve upon previous drawings [19,20]. Coloration of the distal end and along the length of the ovipositor indicates sclerotization within the organ membrane ( Figures 4(a)-4(c)). ...Context 2
... of A. diaperinus genitalia ( Figure 4) improve upon previous drawings [19,20]. Coloration of the distal end and along the length of the ovipositor indicates sclerotization within the organ membrane ( Figures 4(a)-4(c)). Two dark longitudinal lines dorsally and ventrally within the ovipositor suggest sclerotization along the length which may aid in movement of the ovipositor (i.e., protrac- tion and retraction, directionality). ...Context 3
... paired cerci protruding from the end of the ovipositor each possesses a solitary seta, likely to aid in site selection for oviposition. The male aedeagus is a sclerotized organ and, if not readily visible (Figure 4(d)), can be protracted by squeezing of the abdomen (Figures 4(e)-4(g)), although more pressure is required than that used on females. When protracted, the aedeagus may have a curvature to either side of the longitudinal midline of insect body (Figures 4(e) and 4(f)) and is projected away from the body (Figure 4(g)). ...Context 4
... paired cerci protruding from the end of the ovipositor each possesses a solitary seta, likely to aid in site selection for oviposition. The male aedeagus is a sclerotized organ and, if not readily visible (Figure 4(d)), can be protracted by squeezing of the abdomen (Figures 4(e)-4(g)), although more pressure is required than that used on females. When protracted, the aedeagus may have a curvature to either side of the longitudinal midline of insect body (Figures 4(e) and 4(f)) and is projected away from the body (Figure 4(g)). ...Context 5
... male aedeagus is a sclerotized organ and, if not readily visible (Figure 4(d)), can be protracted by squeezing of the abdomen (Figures 4(e)-4(g)), although more pressure is required than that used on females. When protracted, the aedeagus may have a curvature to either side of the longitudinal midline of insect body (Figures 4(e) and 4(f)) and is projected away from the body (Figure 4(g)). ...Context 6
... male aedeagus is a sclerotized organ and, if not readily visible (Figure 4(d)), can be protracted by squeezing of the abdomen (Figures 4(e)-4(g)), although more pressure is required than that used on females. When protracted, the aedeagus may have a curvature to either side of the longitudinal midline of insect body (Figures 4(e) and 4(f)) and is projected away from the body (Figure 4(g)). ...Context 7
... if the ovipositor and cerci are not immediately visible after applying pressure to the abdomen, in all likeli- hood the insect is a male. However, to confirm male gender, applying more pressure to the abdomen caused protrusion of the aedeagus for confirmation (Figures 4(e)-4(g)). Detailed descriptions and morphometrics of the ovipositor and the aedeagus were previously reported [19,20]. ...Similar publications
Terminal investment hypothesis is a longstanding theoretical idea that organisms should increase their reproductive effort as their prospects for survival and reproduction decline. However, numerous attempts to test the terminal investment in reproduction have yielded contradictory results. This study reports an experimental confirmation of the ter...
Citations
... The stock cultures were kept in a climatic room, at 26 ± 0.5°C, 50 ± 5% relative humidity (r.h.) and continuous darkness. Pupae were collected from the stock cultures, by using a 2 mm sieve, and were separated by sex based on their external posterior characteristics (pygopod presence) under an optical stereoscope (Stereomicroscope Leica MZ12, Spach Optics Inc, NY, USA), according to the work of Esquivel et al. (2012). Thereafter, the pupae were kept separately in the same rearing media and conditions as the stock cultures, until adult emergence. ...
The commercial accessibility of insect biomass for food and feed necessitates a systematic examination of the various factors that can potentially hinder the efficiency of insect farming. This study focuses on identifying the optimal thermal requirements for the lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer), an edible insect species of particular interest due to its significant potential as a food and feed source. Adults of the species were left to oviposit continuously for 45 days, under controlled laboratory conditions at 20, 25, 30 and 32 °C. The number of eggs laid by the adults, as well as the larval emergence was recorded during this period. Based on the findings, the reproduction output, expressed as the cumulative number of eggs per adult and the cumulative larval hatching rate, was affected by the temperature levels tested here. It has been determined that the optimal reproductive output of A. diaperinus can be attained by maintaining newly emerged adults within a temperature range of 25 to 30 °C for a period of 42 days. During this period, it is anticipated that each adult will yield an average of 73 eggs, while an estimated hatchability rate of 69 and 58% at 25 and 30 °C, respectively. Our study is one of the few that evaluate the efficacy of retaining parental adults of A. diaperinus for oviposition under commercial mass-rearing conditions, taking into account egg and larval production.
... For the experiments, pupae were collected from the stock cultures by using an 1 mm sieve, and were separated by sex based on their external posterior characteristics (presence or absence of pygopods) under an optical stereoscope (Leica MZ12, Spach Optics Inc, New York, NY, USA), according to the work of Esquivel et al. (2012). Thereafter, the pupae were kept separately in the conditions described above, until adult emergence. ...
Commercial availability of insect biomass for food and feed calls for the methodical investigation of all the complications that can deteriorate the insect farming efficiency. An appropriate stocking density is thus instrumental for the establishment of sustainable and cost effective insect farming protocols; high densities may lead to reduced insect fitness and reproduction, while low densities will result to a proportionally lower per capita yield. The present study deals with the estimation of the optimum adult density of the lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), a species with great potential as food and feed source based on its high growth performance and reproductive output. However, limited data is available so far regarding the effect of adult density on its reproductive performance. Four different adult densities, ranging from 1.1 to 8.2 cm ² per adult, were evaluated in laboratory experiments in terms of reproductive output (number of eggs) and larval emergence for a period of 45 days of continuous oviposition. According to our results, the reproduction output, expressed as the cumulative number of eggs per adult and the cumulative larval hatching rate, was not affected by the adult densities tested here. Although high hatching rates that in most of the cases exceeded 85% were observed within the initial oviposition interval, these rates were in all treatments drastically reduced to 48-56% after 30 to 36 d. High adult survival (over 93%) was observed during the trial. In this experiment, the maximum reproductive output was observed in the highest density of adults that were left to oviposit continuously for a month. Data as such provide an opportunity to further exploit A. diaperinus in high-throughput production systems.
... This second box was monitored twice a week to feed them and search for pupae. Each pupa was then sexed (following Esquivel et al. 2012; i.e., females 'F' and males 'M') and then isolated in a Petri dish to avoid any potential mating when adults. If gender recognition could not be carried out at the pupa stage (e.g., first collected adults), gender recognition was carried out by pressing their protracted ventral abdomen to see the genitalia under a stereomicroscope. ...
Alphitobius diaperinus is one of the most significant pests in the poultry industry. Identifying the role of self-produced chemical signals can help control it. Here, we exposed adults to the olfactory signals of other adults of similar and different genders (either males or females) and sexual experiences (i.e., virgin and experienced) to assess their long-range attractiveness and, at short-range, their mating behavior responses (i.e., touching, mounting, and copulation). In olfactometric experiments, our results indicate that adults are attracted to the olfactory signals of other male adults, independently of gender, or sexual condition, indicating the presence of generalized long-range attractive signals, in contrast to female signals, can be both factor-dependent. However, in mating experiments, virgin males developed more robust mating responses (i.e., they mount and copulate longer with females) compared to sexually experienced males, even though they both have similar precopulatory behavioral responses (i.e., time of antennal and leg touching). These results address the importance of short-range chemical signals in eliciting copulation. Furthermore, when virgins of both genders were tested, their mating responses were significantly longer than any other pair combination, indicating that sexual experience also affects mating behavior. Chemical analyses of adult extracts showed that sexual experience, but not gender, is linked to differences in chemical profiles of adults, primarily involved in short-range signaling. These findings provide new insights into the attractiveness and mating responses of A. diaperinus and the role of sexual experience in shaping the behavior and chemical profile of insects that mate multiple times during their lifetime.
... The darkling beetle, Alphitobius diaperinus, is one of the most abundant insect pests in commercial poultry production facilities, with cosmopolitan occurrence [61][62][63]. Since 1 July 2017, A. diaperinus has been listed as one of the seven insect species authorized to date for use in the large-scale production of processed animal protein (PAP) for aquaculture feeds, in accordance with EU Regulation (EC) No. 2017/893 [27]. ...
Edible insects are expected to become an important nutrient source for animals and humans in the Western world in the near future. Only a few studies on viruses in edible insects with potential for industrial rearing have been published and concern only some edible insect species. Viral pathogens that can infect insects could be non-pathogenic, or pathogenic to the insects themselves, or to humans and animals. The objective of this systematic review is to provide an overview of the viruses detected in edible insects currently considered for use in food and/or feed in the European Union or appropriate for mass rearing, and to collect information on clinical symptoms in insects and on the vector role of insects themselves. Many different virus species have been detected in edible insect species showing promise for mass production systems. These viruses could be a risk for mass insect rearing systems causing acute high mortality, a drastic decline in growth in juvenile stages and in the reproductive performance of adults. Furthermore, some viruses could pose a risk to human and animal health where insects are used for food and feed.
... Gender was determined based on the apical spurs on the second pair of legs, as well as the shape of their genitalia, according to Esquivel, Crippen, & Ward (2012). After about 7 weeks, the number of offspring in each box were counted. ...
Terrestrial insects are affected by many environmental factors that vary temporally and spatially at micro- and macroscales. Climate change is moreover affecting the variations of these factors in several ways, with potential cascading effects for insect individuals, populations and communities. This thesis addresses how certain environmental abiotic factors can affect the physiological ecology of insects, with beetles as model insects. Firstly, I examined how geographic expansion could affect the thermal tolerance of invasive insects. For that purpose, different populations from the beetle Merizodus soledadinus invading a sub-Antarctic Island were used. This investigation illustrated a general pattern that most populations were best at coping with either cold or heat, and a few did not excel at recovering from either, compared to other populations of the species. This indicates that there are trade-offs between insects having high tolerance to hot or cold temperatures, and other un-investigated traits. Further, researches were conducted to elucidate tolerance levels and responses of insects to temperature and insecticide (cyfluthrin) stress, and investigate how thermal tolerance can be affected by pesticides. Different populations of the invasive pest beetle Alphitobius diaperinus, i.e. one laboratory-reared population and three populations collected from different farms were used. The investigations revelaed that all populations of A. diaperinus had a large thermal tolerance breadth. However, farm collected populations had a wider temperature tolerance than the investigated laboratory reared population. It evidences how variable environments experienced by farm-collected populations can increase tolerance as compared with the individuals reared at constant temperature. In addition, pre-treatment with daily heat spikes decreased the recovery time of the insects to subsequent extreme heat exposure (but not cold), whereas pesticide exposure prior to temperature stress increased recovery times. This provided evidence of interactions between insecticide and heat tolerance that has not been shown in adult terrestrial insects before. Following stress exposure in the form of daily heat spikes, with or without insecticide exposure, no changes in the animals´ metabolome or antioxidant activity was reported. However, heat exposure resulted in increased numbers of offspring, while insecticide treatment had a tendency to reduce these numbers. In other words, the insects demonstrated a high tolerance to pesticide, but at a reproductive cost. Finally, tolerance and responses of A. diaperinus to dry conditions was tested. This study showed that the insects were highly desiccation resistant, but there were no changes in metabolite composition that could be associated with active upregulation of osmolytes in response to desiccating conditions. However, after a period in a very dry environment, the insects’ reproductive output decreased, indicating that drought could have detrimental effects, even on populations of this desiccation resistant species.
... For bioassays, pupae were separated by sex and placed in new boxes. The genders were distinguished by differences in pupal abdominal appendages (Esquivel et al., 2012). ...
The lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus Panzer (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is the most important pest in poultry production systems worldwide. Adults and larvae serve as alternative low-quality food for chickens and as a vehicle for animal pathogens resulting in significant economic losses for farmers. Control of this pest is usually performed through insecticide application during the interval between chicken flocks. However, due to the cryptic behaviour of this pest, chemical control is usually not effective. With the aim of developing a sustainable approach to control A. diaperinus, we evaluated integration of the A. diaperinus aggregation pheromone with a highly virulent strain (Unioeste 04) of the fungus Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. (Ascomycota: Cordycipitaceae) using an attract-and-infect device. Significant levels of A. diaperinus mortality and lower numbers of offspring (larvae) were observed in laboratory experiments using Unioeste 04. Horizontal transmission of the Unioeste 04 strain through contaminated living A. diaperinus and cadavers was also observed. In field experiments in commercial poultry houses, a significant level of A. diaperinus mortality was observed in Unioeste 04-treated arenas. The results show that the A. diaperinus aggregation pheromone can be used as an attractant in a device impregnated with infective fungal propagules, increasing adult infection and enhancing disease spread. In addition, the use of the microbial control agent inside the device allows the fungus to remain effective for longer periods in the adverse conditions of the poultry house environment.
... The lifespan of adults female and male of Alphitobius sp. was observed to be 226.10 ± 19.86 days and 265.90 ± 23.03 days, respectively. According to Esquivel et al. (2012) adults of A. diaperinus are long-lived, surviving for many months up to a year, under laboratory conditions feeding on various substrates. The adults of A. diaperinus probably live more than a year (Wilson and Miner, 1969) and 400 days (Preiss and Davidson, 1968). ...
This study is on the lifecycle of the lesser meal worm Alphitobius sp., infesting the hives of the Italian honey
bee Apis mellifera L. The results revealed that the incubation period lasts for 6.05 ± 0.98 days as observed
during rainy season. A total of eight instars were observed in grub stages. The developmental period of
1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th instars grub was 5.67 ± 0.68, 13.73 ± 0.84, 9.90 ± 1.12, 9.03 ± 0.46 days,
11.10 ± 0.45, 8.30 ± 0.43, 9.10 ± 0.27 and 5.13 ± 0.32 days, respectively. The pupal period of the female and
male lasts for 2.58 ± 0.57 and 2.48 ± 0.55 days, respectively; while their lifespan lasts for 226.10 ± 19.86
and 265.90 ± 23.03 days, respectively, depending on favourable temperature and diets. Newly emerged
adults started matting within weeks, and a female can lay 977.80 ± 94.68 eggs in her lifespan of 226.10 ±
19.86 days under laboratory conditions.
... Jaja pleśniakowca lśniącego są okrągłe (średnica 1-1,5 mm), o kremowo-białej barwie i z czasem ciemnieją (35). Jaja wykluwają się w przeciągu 4-7 dni (11). ...
... Zauważalny jest dymorfizm płciowy (11,25), chociaż niektóre źródła podają, że pod względem wyglądu oraz wielkości dorosłe samce i samice są identyczne lub występują między nimi nieznaczne różnice (29). Esquivel i wsp. ...
... jego szkodliwość, dlatego niezwykle istotne są dalsze badania w tym kierunku. Mogłoby to stanowić punkt wyjściowy w walce z populacją owada (11). ...
The intensive increase in poultry production requires a variety of different measures to maintain high productivity of broiler chickens while maintaining a high level of bird welfare. One issue is the growing population of Alphitobius diaperinus, which occurs all over the world. This beetle is considered a pest in poultry production and causes major losses to poultry producers. Its development cycle consists of four stages: an egg, a larva, a pupa and an adult. It is necessary to reduce the number of these insects in poultry houses, in which they constitute a serious problem both for the birds and for the buildings themselves. The beetle does a lot of damage by tunnelling in floor and wall crevices, thus destroying the insulation of the building. It has been proved experimentally that the lesser mealworm is also a vector for many serious diseases of poultry and humans. The beetle infected with pathogens may remain infectious for a long time. A. diaperinus is a carrier of dangerous pathogens and viruses as well as protozoa and parasites in poultry. The lesser mealworm shows a noticeable sexual dimorphism. Correct and quick identification of the sex of A. diaperinus on poultry farms could facilitate insect control. Field and laboratory research is being conducted to find an effective method of reducing the population of the lesser mealworm.
... They have short antennae, broad pronotum, and elytra with rows of small punctures along their length (Green 1980;Hagstrum et al. 2013). A comprehensive, user-friendly photographic guide for determining sex of A. diaperinus at different life stages is provided by Esquivel et al. (2012). The orientation of the paired tibial spurs (parallel in females), present apically on the tibiae of the mesothoracic and metathoracic legs, can aid in differentiation of sexes (Hewlett 1958;Esquivel et al. 2012). ...
... A comprehensive, user-friendly photographic guide for determining sex of A. diaperinus at different life stages is provided by Esquivel et al. (2012). The orientation of the paired tibial spurs (parallel in females), present apically on the tibiae of the mesothoracic and metathoracic legs, can aid in differentiation of sexes (Hewlett 1958;Esquivel et al. 2012). A handful of studies give insight also to inner anatomical features, i.e. the male and female reproductive system ( Hopkins et al. 1992Hopkins et al. , 1993 and the gut ). ...
... The duration of the pupal stage is temperature-dependent and lasts from 4 to 14 days (Axtell 1994). Adults are long-lived, surviving for many months up to a year, under laboratory conditions feeding on various substrates ( Esquivel et al. 2012). Adult females oviposit in protected sites and can produce 1,000 to 1,800 fertile eggs over their lifespan (Axtell 1994). ...
The lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is one of the most common insect pests in commercial poultry farms, where it reproduces within the litter floor, feeding on poultry manure, spilled feed and other organic material. It can also infest, feed and reproduce on stored grains and related amylaceous commodities. Its significance is related mostly with the fact that it serves as reservoir and vector for many pathogens that cause serious diseases, such as Salmonella, Escherichia and various viruses. Recently, A. diaperinus attracted a lot attention as it was listed in the EU Regulation 2017/893 among the insect species that are allowed to be used for the production of insect meal as aquafeed ingredient, changing our perspective on this insect from a noxious pest to a potential nutrient source. This is the first review on A. diaperinus summarizing the significant recent findings in its biology and control. Moreover, this review aims to provide a helpful tool for aquaculture scientists working with A. diaperinus as aquafeed ingredient. Therefore, we gather and highlight the available data that classify A. diaperinus as a promising insect‐based protein provider and we comment and discuss on the public concerns that arise from its utilization as feed.
... Os insetos são mantidos em recipientes plásticos (20cm de largura x 40cm de comprimento x 15cm de altura) contendo serragem e ração comercial para frangos (composta por milho moído, soja, trigo, farinha de arroz, farinha de carne, calcário, sal, vitaminas, probióticos e minerais) em sala climatizada (27 ± 2°C; 60 ± 10% UR) na escotofase. Os insetos foram separados por sexo na fase de pupa com auxílio de microscópio estereoscópico, com base em diferenças na porção final do abdome, conforme descrito porEsquivel et al. (2012) (Ver capítulo II). Em seguida, as pupas foram acondicionadas separadamente em placas de Petri (9 cm de diâmetro) contendo 1g de ração. ...
O controle do cascudinho-dos-aviários Alphitobius diaperinus Panzer (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) é um dos maiores desafios da avicultura industrial a nível mundial. Em função disso, a presente tese teve como principal objetivo estudar aspectos relacionados à ecologia química dessa praga, seu comportamento reprodutivo e avaliar a ação de fungos entomopatogênicos sobre A. diaperinus visando desenvolver métodos de controle mais eficientes e sustentáveis que os inseticidas atualmente utilizados. O comportamento de cópula de A. diaperinus foi descrito, sendo evidenciado o sistema de
acasalamento poligâmico, onde machos e fêmeas copulam múltiplas vezes com diferentes indivíduos (Capítulo II). Para compreender a percepção olfativa das moléculas semioquímicas, as sensilas presentes nas antenas de machos e fêmeas foram identificadas, descritas e quantificadas. Observou-se dimorfismo sexual no número de sensilas, sendo que as sensilas responsáveis pela percepção dos feromônios produzidos por A. diaperinus ocorrem em ambos os sexos nos últimos sete segmentos antenais (do flagelômero 3 ao flagelômero 9), e em maior número nos últimos três (Capítulo III). As respostas quimiotáxicas de machos e fêmeas do cascudinho-dos-aviários a mudanças qualitativas e quantitativas dos seus feromônios de agregação e de alarme foram estudadas em laboratório, ostrando que esta espécie é sensível a estas mudanças, ou seja, ambas as misturas feromonais precisam conter todos os seus componentes em proporções e concentrações próximas às produzidas naturalmente por A. diaperinus para serem ativas (Capítulos IV e V). A atratividade de armadilhas iscadas com o feromônio de agregação do cascudinho-dos-aviários e o seu potencial de uso na coleta massal desta praga foram demonstrados em experimentos de campo. Da mesma forma, o aumento significativo da captura de insetos pelo sistema de “atração-repulsão”, combinando o feromônio de alarme para a repulsão de indivíduos de pontos críticos, atraindo-os ao mesmo tempo para armadilhas iscadas com o feromônio de agregação (Capítulo VI). Além disso, demonstrou-se em laboratório o potencial da associação de armadilhas iscadas com o feromônio de agregação de A. diaperinus com o fungo entomopatogênico Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. (Ascomycota: Cordycipitaceae) como estratégia “atrai-infecta”, bem como a transmissão horizontal do fungo pelo inseto (Capítulo VII). As estratégias propostas no presente estudo apresentam-se como ferramentas viáveis para um manejo mais sustentável do cascudinho-dos-aviários no campo, reduzindo a
utilização de inseticidas sintéticos e aumentando a segurança dos trabalhadores
e segurança alimentar. Nesta tese são detalhados como esses resultados foram
obtidos e discute-se a aplicabilidade dos mesmos.
