Paper Title
Effects Of Beauveriabassiana On Quantity Of F1 Larvae And Larval Mortality Of Triboliumconfusum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Abstract
Triboliumconfusum is a worldwide distributed stored-product pest and it is controlled by chemical insecticides. Using entomopathogenic fungi is an alternative control approach and has been under investigation. T. confusum adults are known as resistant to Beauveriabassiana infections; however, the fungus may affect its population growth by other means. In this study, larval mortality due to B. bassiana infections and the number of larvae produced in the presence of B. bassiana spores were investigated. Larvae were kept in wheat kernels treated with four concentrations of B. bassiana spores (250, 500, 750, 1000 ppm) and mortalities were assessed. Number of larvae produced was found after leaving adults in 1000ppm treated wheat kernels. In a long incubation experiment, 100 adults were kept in 1kg of treated cereal for three months (3 replications). Thereafter, number of larvae and larval mortality was recorded. Within 7 days, larval mortality was 55% at 250ppm and over 75% at higher concentrations. The mortality reached 100% on day 14 in all fungus treatments. After the adults were kept for 14 and 28 days, 6.3 and 12.0 larvae in treatments and 1 and 6.3 larvae in control units were counted, respectively. In the long incubation experiment, number of larvae was 10.3, 42.0 and 260.3 in the control, 500ppm and 1000ppm treatments, respectively. Mortalities of these larvae were %97.4 in 500ppm and 100% 1000ppm treatments, while there were not larval mortality in the control. The results show that although B. bassiana treatment increases the number of T. confusum larvae as the concentration increases, B. bassiana treatment also cause high levels of larval mortalities depending on concentration and time. Therefore, B. basssiana treatment can have a role in controlling T. confusum populations. Key words- Biological control, microbial control, Stored-product pest, Triboliumconfusum, Beauveriabassiana