Journal of Economic Entomology (2004) 97, 1868-1873

J.A. Johnson, K.A. Valero, S. Wang and J. Tang (2004)
Thermal death kinetics of red flour beetle (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)
Journal of Economic Entomology 97 (6), 1868-1873
Abstract: While developing radio frequency heat treatments for dried fruits and nuts, we used a heating block system developed by Washington State University to identify the most heat-tolerant life stage of red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), and to determine its thermal death kinetics. Using a heating rate of 15°C/min to approximate the rapid heating of radio frequency treatments, the relative heat tolerance of red flour beetle stages was found to be older larvae > pupae and adults > eggs and younger larvae. Lethal exposure times for temperatures of 48, 50, and 52°C for the most heat-tolerant larval stage were estimated using a 0.5th order kinetic model. Exposures needed for 95% mortality at 48°C were too long to be practical (67 min), but increasing treatment temperatures to 50 and 52°C resulted in more useful exposure times of 8 and 1.3 min, respectively. Red flour beetle was more sensitive to changes in treatment temperature than previously studied moth species, resulting in red flour beetle being the most heat-tolerant species at 48°C, but navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella (Walker), being most heat tolerant at 50 and 52°C. Consequently, efficacious treatments for navel orangeworm at 50-52°C also would control red flour beetle.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Full text of article
Database assignments for author(s): Judy A. Johnson

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
control - general

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Tribolium castaneum	Dried fruits
	Tribolium castaneum	Stored nuts
	Amyelois transitella	Dried fruits
	Amyelois transitella	Stored nuts