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A method of assessing the physical condition of insect-damaged grain and its application to a faunistic survey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

C. W. Coombs
C. W. Coombs
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Council, Pest Infestation Laboratory, Slough, Bucks.
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Extract

A method of assessing the physical condition of grain residues is described. It consists of utilising data obtained by taking the weight and volume of samples before and after sieving over a 1/10-inch mesh.

The application of this method to a survey of the insect population of wheat residues beneath the floor of a small granary in southern England is described. Information from the weight and volume data obtained enabled the samples to be classified in a manner agreeing with visual estimates. It had the advantage of objectivity.

Three vertical series of samples were taken and analysed, and the insects present counted and identified. The size, composition and distribution of the insect population is briefly discussed in relation to the condition of the residues and their depth below the surface. The fauna consisted of grain pests (Sitophilus granarius (L.), Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.), Ptinus tectus Boield., P. fur (L.) and Hofmannophila pseudospretella (Stnt.)) and incidental species (fungus feeders and ground-dwellers) and the two groups differed in their distribution and in their apparent response to the physical conditions.

Type
Research Paper
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 54 , Issue 1 , May 1963 , pp. 23 - 35
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1963

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References

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