Combined Influence of Temperature and Moisture on Red Flour Beetle (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) Reproduction on Whole Grain Wheat

Reproduction of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), was lower on whole grain than has been reported on milled grain in earlier studies. Generally, fecundity increased with increasing temperature (20-32°C) and moisture (10-16%). However, interaction of adult survival and fecundity caused net reproduction to peak at 27°C and 16% moisture. This resulted from greater adult survival with increasing moisture, but decreasing survival with increasing temperature.