Biology and Management of Lesser Mealworm Alphitobius diaperinus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in Broiler Houses
Date
2023-01-30
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Integrated Pest Management
Abstract
Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), the lesser mealworm, is a ubiquitous generalist
pest of poultry broiler and layer facilities, originating in southern Africa and now found worldwide. They spend their full life cycle within the litter and manure of poultry, causing structural damage to poultry houses, injuring birds, and acting as a reservoir for several avian pathogens, notably Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli. Management commonly consists of spraying walls and floors of poultry houses with organophosphates, pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, or spinosyns between flocks, and periodic removal and replacement of litter. Populations have been observed to become resistant to specific insecticides after ca. 10 yr of consistent use and exhibit cross resistance to insecticides of the same mode of action. Alternative cultural and biological control methods have been identified but are not currently implemented. More research is needed regarding the economic impact of A. diaperinus, the mechanisms of its insecticide resistance, and patterns and mechanisms of colonization for effective integrated pest management programs to be devised and implemented.
Description
This article was originally published in Journal of Integrated Pest Management Published by Oxford University Press.. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmad003. © The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America.
Keywords
avian pathogen, chlorpyrifos, darkling beetle, insecticide resistance, poultry, zero hunger
Citation
Ben C Sammarco, Nancy C Hinkle, Michael S Crossley, Biology and Management of Lesser Mealworm Alphitobius diaperinus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in Broiler Houses, Journal of Integrated Pest Management, Volume 14, Issue 1, 2023, 2, https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmad003