Limited transmission of turkey coronavirus in young turkeys by adult Alphitobius diaperinus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

First molecular detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus in cockroaches

Coronavirus is one of the main pathogens that primarily targets the human respiratory system. There are several ways to transmit this virus, such as direct contact or droplets spread by coughing or sneezing, and direct contact with fomites and surfaces is another way. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Shiraz, southern Iran, in 2021. 5 locations, including 3 hospitals and 2 dormitories, were selected for the survey. The cockroaches were collected from selected locations and transferred to the Laboratory of Medical Entomology at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. All specimens were identified morphologically. The external and gastrointestinal washouts of collected samples with sterile phosphate-buffered saline separately were used for molecular analysis. An RT-qPCR assay, which suggests the possible insect‑borne transmission, was used. External and gastrointestinal washout of B. germanica from Dastgheyb Dormitory and P. americana from Ali-Asghar Hospital were positive for contamination with the SARS-CoV-2. Cockroaches spread the virus in the environment and contaminate human food and various surfaces of buildings. Their role will be more important in crowded places such as hotels, lodging houses, restaurants, and hospitals; vector control programs should be carried out with more accuracy in such places.

The Potential Impacts by the Invasion of Insects Reared to Feed Livestock and Pet Animals in Europe and Other Regions: A Critical Review

While the use of alien insect species for food and feed can help to alleviate protein shortage and provide for a more sustainable feed production, their invasive potential should be considered since invasive alien species represent one of the five main global threats to biodiversity. In the European Union (EU), eight insect species have already been authorized to be used as feed ingredients for aquaculture organisms, pets, poultry, and pigs. These species were selected based on available national risk assessments, as most of them are non-native to Europe. However, it is not clear how these risk assessments truly consider all EU bioregions, given that the information used was mostly biased towards northern European regions. As a large proportion of invasive alien species already present in the EU were introduced unintentionally, it is therefore crucial to understand and manage the potential pathways of such introductions in a more effective way. Here, we provide a critical overview of the potential risks of rearing alien insect species as feed or as pet food (for both livestock and exotic pets) in the EU. The results showed that some of these insect species have an invasive potential, either due to their reproductive capacity in different climates or due to the fact that they have already established populations in areas where they were introduced, with negative effects on local ecosystems or causing economical losses. For this reason, it is recommended that risk assessments should be performed in other EU bioregions as well as monitoring programs to control the spread of insect species with invasive potential. In addition, other available native insect species with potential to be used as feed ingredients should be considered.

Atividade da Metilxantina em pó aplicada na cama de frango sobre adultos de Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer, 1797) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Resumo Uma das pragas que mais afetam e comprometem a produção avícola no mundo é o inseto Alphitobius diaperinus, conhecido como cascudinho. Este inseto é vetor de doenças que comprometem não só a produção de frangos como também a saúde humana. Objetivou-se com esse trabalho avaliar a eficácia e determinar a dose adequada de Metilxantina (MTX), inseticida natural extraído da cafeína, para o controle da população adulta de cascudinhos em cama de frango. Foram utilizados 2.500 cascudinhos adultos distribuídos em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, cinco tratamentos, 10 repetições com 50 insetos por repetição. Os tratamentos consistiram de grupo controle e quatro concentrações 14 g/m2, 16 g/m2, 18 g/m2, 20 g/m2 de MTX espalhadas em recipientes plásticos contendo cama de frango reutilizada e ração, alocados em um galpão de frangos de corte a fm de simular a condição de granja. Período experimental foi de 18 dias e realizadas cinco leituras nos dias dois, quatro, seis, 10 e 18. A MTX afetou (P<0,05) a taxa de mortalidade acumulada de cascudinhos, grupos de insetos alojados em caixas tratadas com 16 g/m2 de MTX apresentaram maior mortalidade acumulada (86,6%) ao final do período experimental. Conclui-se que MTX tem ação inseticida sobre adultos de cascudinho, podendo ser utilizada sobre a cama de frango para o controle da população deste inseto em galpões de criação de frangos, a concentração 16 g/MTX/m2 demonstrou maior efetividade.

Activity of powdered methylxanthine applied to poultry litter on adults of Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer, 1797) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Abstract One of the pests that most affect and compromise poultry production worldwide is the insect Alphitobius diaperinus, known as the lesser mealworm. This insect is a vector of diseases that compromise not only chicken production but also human health. This study proposes to examine the efficacy and determine the appropriate rate of methylxanthine (MTX), a natural insecticide extracted from cafeine, for the control of an adult population of lesser mealworms in poultry litter. A total of 2,500 adult mealworms were distributed into five treatments in a completely randomized design using 10 replications with 50 insects per replication. The treatments consisted of a control group and four concentrations of MTX (14, 16, 18, and 20 g/m2) spread in plastic boxes containing reused poultry litter and feed, allocated in a broiler shed, to simulate the farm condition. The experimental period was 18 days, and five readings were performed on days 2, 4, 6, 10, and 18. Methylxanthine affected (P<0.05) the mealworms’ cumulative mortality rate, with the groups of insects housed in boxes treated with 16 g /m2 MTX showing the highest cumulative mortality (86.6%) at the end of the experimental period. In conclusion, MTX has insecticidal action on adults of lesser mealworm and can be used on chicken litter to control the population of this insect in poultry sheds. The MTX concentration of 16 g/m2 showed the greatest effectiveness.

A Systematic Review on Viruses in Mass-Reared Edible Insect Species

Edible insects are expected to become an important nutrient source for animals and humans in the Western world in the near future. Only a few studies on viruses in edible insects with potential for industrial rearing have been published and concern only some edible insect species. Viral pathogens that can infect insects could be non-pathogenic, or pathogenic to the insects themselves, or to humans and animals. The objective of this systematic review is to provide an overview of the viruses detected in edible insects currently considered for use in food and/or feed in the European Union or appropriate for mass rearing, and to collect information on clinical symptoms in insects and on the vector role of insects themselves. Many different virus species have been detected in edible insect species showing promise for mass production systems. These viruses could be a risk for mass insect rearing systems causing acute high mortality, a drastic decline in growth in juvenile stages and in the reproductive performance of adults. Furthermore, some viruses could pose a risk to human and animal health where insects are used for food and feed.

First molecular-based detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus in the field-collected houseflies

This is the first report of SARS-CoV-2 detection on field-collected Musca domestica housefly surface and tissue samples using the high-sensitive PCR assay which suggests the possible insect-borne transmission. The study was conducted in Shiraz city, southern Iran, in May and Jun 2020. Adult flies were sampled at the outdoor areas of two hospitals treating COVID-19 patients. Fly samples were first washed twice to remove the insect surface attached to SARS-CoV-2 virions. After that, the disinfected fly samples were homogenized. Fly surface washout and homogenate samples were tested using Taq Man real-time PCR assay for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In a total of 156 houseflies, 75% of samples from the body washout samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Strikingly, 37% of the homogenized specimens were positive for the SARS-CoV-2, suggesting the possible infection of the insects or uptake of the virion to the insect metabolism. The other possibility is the houseflies up took the blood or blood fluids of the patients and the RNA of the SARS-CoV-2 survived in the insect body without replicating. Our preliminary findings suggest that the houseflies could transmit SARS-CoV-2 as a mechanical or biological vector especially during the warm seasons while increasing the population and activity of houseflies.

Differences in the Susceptibility to Commercial Insecticides among Populations of the Lesser Mealworm Alphitobius diaperinus Collected from Poultry Houses in France

Simple Summary

The lesser mealworm Alphitobius diaperinus is a major pest from poultry houses worldwide. There was suspicion that populations of A. diaperinus had developed resistance to insecticides in poultry farms in France. Here, we evaluate the insecticide susceptibility of adult A. diaperinus from ten populations sampled from different poultry farms. The insects were exposed to four commercial insecticides: two pyrethroids, one pyrethroid/neonicotinoid and one organophosphate. Our results strongly suggest the occurrence of resistance to pyrethroid-based formulations in some farm populations from Brittany (France).

Abstract

The control of insect pests often relies on the recurrent application of insecticides. This is the case for the lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus, an invasive beetle infesting poultry farms. There is evidence that A. diaperinus can develop resistance to several insecticides. Evaluation of such resistance has never been conducted in France, despite the beetle’s presence since the 1970s. We assess insecticide susceptibility in 10 populations from French poultry farms and compare patterns with two susceptible populations. Adults are subjected to short-term exposures (4 h) to four commercial insecticides and their recovery is assessed. Temporal survival also is scored during constant exposures for seven days. Clear-cut differences among the farm populations are found. Except for three populations that have patterns similar to those of the two susceptible populations, all the other farm populations have a much greater capacity to recover and survive insecticide exposures, especially to pyrethroid-based formulations. Three populations in particular even exhibit clear signs of resistance to pyrethroids, with median lethal times more than 10-fold superior to values of the susceptible population. No insect in any population recovers from the pirimiphos-methyl exposure, and all beetles are apparently dead after 15 h. Our results demonstrate the existence of resistant populations to pyrethroids in Brittany France.

Use of Starch Granules Enriched with Carvacrol for the Lesser Mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus Control in Chicken House: Effects on Insects and Poultry

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of starch granules enriched with carvacrol and mixed with straw pellets (as poultry litter) on the mortality of larvae and adults of the lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus Panzer, a cosmopolitan pest inhabiting chicken houses in vast numbers worldwide. Additionally, the effect of starch granules on the growth parameters and survival of broiler chickens exposed to treated litter was examined. In this study, granules containing 3, 5, and 10% carvacrol was used. In a simulated chicken house bioassay, this material was mixed with pellets in three different proportions: 30/70%, 40/60%, and 50/50% (granules/pellets, respectively). On this medium, young larvae (approximately 10 days old), older larvae (last stage before pupa), and unsexed 7–10 days old adults of the lesser mealworm, with access to food, were colonized. Experiments were performed at 29°C in the dark. The study shows that poultry litter with the addition of starch granules enriched with 10% of carvacrol in the proportion of 40:60% (granules:pellets) appears to be the optimal medium applicable to broiler houses for A. diaperinus control. In this environment, all larvae and adults died within 3–4 days and the overall development of the experimental chickens was similar to that of the control. However, the feed conversion rate was slightly higher in the treated group (1.72) than in the control group (1.56). The average final body weight in the treated group was 100 g lower than that in the control group (the differences were not statistically significant).

Susceptibility of the Lesser Mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), From Broiler Farms of Southern Brazil to Insecticides

The lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer, 1797) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is considered the primary insect pest in broiler farms in Brazil. In this study, we characterized the susceptibility of A. diaperinus populations from broiler farms of southern Brazil to cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos. Larvae and adults of A. diaperinus were exposed to these technical insecticides diluted in acetone in residual bioassays. A geographic variation in the susceptibility of larvae and adults of A. diaperinus to both insecticides was detected. The larval LC50 for cypermethrin ranged from 0.43 to 7.33 µg a.i./cm2. Two populations from Santa Catarina state presented higher resistance ratios of 13.6- and 17-fold. When adults were exposed to cypermethrin, the LC50 ranged from 0.46 to 4.93 µg a.i./cm2, with population SC-3 from Santa Catarina having lower susceptibility (resistance ratio of 10.7-fold). When exposed to chlorpyrifos, A. diaperinus larvae present LC50 values ranging from 0.21 to 4.30 µg a.i./cm2. Larvae from Paraná and Santa Catarina (SC-1 population) presented the highest resistance ratios, ranging from 10- to 20-fold. In adults, the LC50 of chlorpyrifos ranged from 0.17 to 5.30 µg a.i./cm2, showing a maximum resistance ratio of 31-fold in a population from Paraná state. Based on LC99 values, candidate diagnostic concentrations of 15 and 12 µg a.i./cm2 of cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos, respectively, were also estimated for the resistance monitoring of A. diaperinus in Brazil. The implications of these results in Insect Resistance Management are discussed.

Chemical composition, antimicromicrobial activity and insecticidal activity against the lesser mealworm Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) of Origanum vulgare L. ssp. hirtum (Link) and Artemisia dracunculus L. essential oils

BACKGROUND

Essential oils (EOs) from Artemisia dracunculus L. and Origanum vulgare L. ssp. hirtum were obtained and the qualitative and quantitative chemical composition of the extracts was investigated. The insecticidal activity of EOs against the larval stages of Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) was studied. Moreover, the antimicrobial activity of these oils against pathogens transmitted by this pest was also investigated.

RESULTS

The obtained results indicate the possibility of using Greek oregano EO with a high content of carvacrol as a feed additive in poultry nutrition. The use of the Greek oregano oil at 1% (w/w) dose showed stronger reduction of body weight gain of stage IV larvae. Their body mass was only 10.92% of the control. Moreover, EOs from O. vulgare strongly inhibited the growth of tested bacterial strains as well as Candida albicans.

CONCLUSION

Greek oregano EO may be a good alternative to antibiotic growth promoters and coccidiostats whose use in feeding farm animals has been prohibited since January 2006 under European Union directives. The introduction of O. vulgare L. ssp. hirtum EO into the premises of farm and poultry houses may help to improve sanitary conditions and control of the lesser mealworm inhabiting these buildings. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Avaliação da resistência do cascudinho (Alphitobius diaperinus) (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) a diferentes temperaturas

Alphitobius diaperinus, conhecido como cascudinho, é encontrado abundantemente nas instalações avícolas, e acarreta prejuízos zootécnicos e sanitários na avicultura industrial mundialmente. As formas de controle deste besouro estão baseadas exclusivamente no uso de inseticidas para os quais já existem vários relatos de populações resistentes forçando o emprego de métodos alternativos como o controle biológico, interferindo no ciclo de vida do inseto. Este estudo avaliou, em condições de laboratório, a mortalidade de larvas e adultos de A. diaperinus frente a diferentes temperaturas de aquecimento (45º, 50º, 55º e 60º C) e resfriamento (-10º, -13º e -18º C), na presença de maravalha (PM) e ausência de maravalha (AM), através do tempo letal de 100% dos insetos (TL100) em minutos em cada temperatura. A TL100 de larvas e adultos em 45º C foi de 36 e 38 AM e 42 e 57 PM, em 50º C foram 15 e 11 AM e 19 e 16 PM, para 55º C foi de 8 e 9 AM e 12 PM e em 60º C foi de 5 e 6 AM e 11 e 9 PM. Já em -10º C variou de 57 e 60 AM e 70 e 75 PM, em -13º C levou 52 e 55 AM e 60 e 64 PM e em -18º C levou 42 e 43 AM e 51 e 52 PM. Em todas as temperaturas avaliadas houve mortalidade dos insetos em tempo consideravelmente rápido e métodos de controle, através da temperatura, devem levar em consideração esses pontos para referência.

Introducing Alphitobius diaperinus, (Insecta: Tenebrionidae) as a New Intermediate Host of Hadjelia truncata (Nematoda)

BACKGROUND

Hadjelia truncata is a nematode that causes lesions in the gizzard lining of pigeons, which may even lead to death. The aim of this study was to introduce Alphitobius diaperinus as a new intermediate host for Hadjelia truncata.

METHODS

H. truncata infection was identified in a pigeon flock in Ahvaz City, Khuzestan Province, Iran by performing fecal examination and autopsy. Adult and larval stages of beetles were collected from the litter of pigeon houses, and identified morphologically. The beetle larvae were cultured in a medium, containing feces of the infected pigeons. Nematode larval stages from naturally and experimentally (culturally) infected adult beetles were fed to two groups of pigeons

RESULTS

The collected beetles were identified as Alphitobius diaperinus. Average length and width of the adult beetles were 6.31 mm and 2.88 mm respectively. Infection rates of naturally and experimentally infected beetles with larval stages of the nematode were 66.2% and 45.1% respectively. The adult nematodes collected from gizzards of experimentally infected pigeons were identified as H. truncata. Nematode infection rates in pigeons after feeding the infective larvae collected from naturally and experimentally infected beetles were 44.7% and 32.5% respectively.

CONCLUSION

A. diaperinus can serve as a natural intermediate host for H. truncata.

DISTRIBUIÇÃO E DINÂMICA POPULACIONAL DO CASCUDINHO ALPHITOBIUS DIAPERINUS (COLEOPTERA: TENEBRIONIDAE) EM AVIÁRIOS DE FRANGO DE CORTE

RESUMO O cascudinho infesta cama de aviários e é uma das pragas-chave da avicultura moderna. Embora ineficiente, seu controle é baseado no uso de inseticidas químicos. Diante da falta de informações acerca da bioecologia do inseto nas condições do Brasil, realizou-se este trabalho em aviários comerciais de frangos de corte, em Cascavel, PR, sendo um aviário de piso de cimento e com alimentação automatizada (Cimento-Automático) e outro com piso de terra batida e comedouros pendulares (Terra-Manual), ambos tendo o piso coberto por cama de maravalha. As avaliações foram realizadas semanalmente com armadilhas colocadas sob comedouros (15 no aviário CimentoAutomático e 10 no Terra-Manual), sendo também registrada a temperatura da cama, nos locais de amostragem. Verificou-se uma tendência em se encontrar menor número de insetos no aviário Cimento-Automático, pela maior dificuldade do inseto em se desenvolver em locais com este tipo de piso. Maiores populações do inseto foram constatadas nas áreas de alojamento em função das elevadas temperaturas e na concentração da ração durante todo o período de criação.

Darkling beetles (Alphitobius diaperinus) and their larvae as potential vectors for the transfer of Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella enterica serovar paratyphi B variant Java between successive broiler flocks

Broiler flocks often become infected with Campylobacter and Salmonella, and the exact contamination routes are still not fully understood. Insects like darkling beetles and their larvae may play a role in transfer of the pathogens between consecutive cycles. In this study, several groups of beetles and their larvae were artificially contaminated with a mixture of Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi B Variant Java and three C. jejuni strains and kept for different time intervals before they were fed to individually housed chicks. Most inoculated insects were positive for Salmonella and Campylobacter just before they were fed to the chicks. However, Campylobacter could not be isolated from insects that were kept for 1 week before they were used to mimic an empty week between rearing cycles. All broilers fed insects that were inoculated with pathogens on the day of feeding showed colonization with Campylobacter and Salmonella at levels of 50 to 100%. Transfer of both pathogens by groups of insects that were kept for 1 week before feeding to the chicks was also observed, but at lower levels. Naturally contaminated insects that were collected at a commercial broiler farm colonized broilers at low levels as well. In conclusion, the fact that Salmonella and Campylobacter can be transmitted via beetles and their larvae to flocks in successive rearing cycles indicates that there should be intensive control programs for exclusion of these insects from broiler houses.

Comparison of two acetylcholinesterase gene cDNAs of the lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus, in insecticide susceptible and resistant strains

Two cDNAs encoding different acetylcholinesterase (AChE) genes (AdAce1 and AdAce2) were sequenced and analyzed from the lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus. Both AdAce1 and AdAce2 were highly similar (95 and 93% amino acid identity, respectively) with the Ace genes of Tribolium castaneum. Both AdAce1 and AdAce2 have the conserved residues characteristic of AChE (catalytic triad, intra-disulfide bonds, and so on). Partial cDNA sequences of the Alphitobius Ace genes were compared between two tetrachlorvinphos resistant (Kennebec and Waycross) and one susceptible strain of beetles. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected, but only one non-synonymous mutation was found (A271S in AdAce2). No SNPs were exclusively found in the resistant strains, the A271S mutation does not correspond to any mutations previously reported to alter sensitivity of AChE to organophosphates or carbamates, and the A271S was found only as a heterozygote in one individual from one of the resistant A. diaperinus strains. This suggests that tetrachlorvinphos resistance in the Kennebec and Waycross strains of A. diaperinus is not due to mutations in either AChE gene. The sequences of AdAce1 and AdAce2 provide new information about the evolution of these important genes in insects.

Susceptibility of lesser mealworm (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) adults and larvae exposed to two commercial insecticides on unpainted plywood panels

BACKGROUND

The susceptibilities of adult and larval lesser mealworms, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer), to two commercially formulated insecticides, cyfluthrin and tetrachlorvinphos, were examined through exposure on treated plywood panels. Lesser mealworms were collected from four caged-layer poultry farms, three in New York and one in Maine. An additional strain was obtained from an infestation occurring in a cricket colony.

RESULTS

In all poultry farm derived strains, a portion of the population (1.8-16.2%) survived cyfluthrin exposure. The Maine and cricket colony strains were tolerant of tetrachlorvinphos exposure as both larvae and adults, with 55-74% mortality, whereas nearly 100% mortality was observed with New York strains. The cricket colony adult beetles were highly susceptible to cyfluthrin, with 100% mortality following exposure, but larvae were considerably less susceptible (87.7%). Pesticide use histories for the poultry farms and their impact on the results are discussed.

CONCLUSION

The results document that tetrachlorvinphos, an active ingredient with a long use history, may be losing its effectiveness against lesser mealworms in some poultry operations; however, it is still effective in many others.

External surface disinfection of the lesser mealworm (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Understanding the dynamics of movement of bacteria within the environment and between species is crucial to unraveling the epidemiology of bacterial diseases and to developing biosecurity measures to prevent dissemination. Many arthropods, some beneficial and some detrimental, inhabit poultry houses. The lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is a pest commonly found in poultry litter that can harbor pathogens involved in both human and animal health issues. Current farm management practices perpetuate persistent infestations contributing to the dispersal of beetles and pathogens. To study the dissemination of bacteria by this beetle, we require the ability to differentiate internal from external sources of bacteria carried by the beetle. In this study, we tested previously described methods to externally disinfect beetles and found disinfectant efficacies between 40 and 98%. The irregular surface of the insect posed a challenge to cleansing procedures because the surface offered many recesses able to sequester bacteria. Complete bacterial disinfection was achieved with a serial treatment of ethanol and hydrogen peroxide or hydrogen peroxide/peracetic acid.

External surface disinfection of the lesser mealworm (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Understanding the dynamics of movement of bacteria within the environment and between species is crucial to unraveling the epidemiology of bacterial diseases and to developing biosecurity measures to prevent dissemination. Many arthropods, some beneficial and some detrimental, inhabit poultry houses. The lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is a pest commonly found in poultry litter that can harbor pathogens involved in both human and animal health issues. Current farm management practices perpetuate persistent infestations contributing to the dispersal of beetles and pathogens. To study the dissemination of bacteria by this beetle, we require the ability to differentiate internal from external sources of bacteria carried by the beetle. In this study, we tested previously described methods to externally disinfect beetles and found disinfectant efficacies between 40 and 98%. The irregular surface of the insect posed a challenge to cleansing procedures because the surface offered many recesses able to sequester bacteria. Complete bacterial disinfection was achieved with a serial treatment of ethanol and hydrogen peroxide or hydrogen peroxide/peracetic acid.

Resistance to cyfluthrin and tetrachlorvinphos in the lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus, collected from the eastern United States

The lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer), is an important pest in poultry facilities. The toxicity of cyfluthrin and tetrachlorvinphos to five strains of the lesser mealworm was compared with the toxicity to a susceptible laboratory strain. Bioassays were carried out with both larvae and adults. For the susceptible strain, cyfluthrin and tetrachlorvinphos had similar toxicity to adults, but cyfluthrin was 5 times more toxic to larvae when compared with tetrachlorvinphos. High levels of resistance to tetrachlorvinphos in two beetle strains were detected in both larvae and adults, although these strains were heterogeneous and still contained susceptible individuals. Resistance to cyfluthrin ranged from 1.7- to 9.5-fold for adults and from 0.5- to 29-fold for larvae at the LC(95). Overall, the patterns of resistance did not mirror the insecticide use patterns reported at these facilities. The implications of these results to management of the lesser mealworms are discussed.

Isolamento de enterobactérias em Alphitobius diaperinus e na cama de aviários no oeste do estado do Paraná, Brasil

O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar o isolamento de bactérias da família Enterobacteriaceae em adultos de A. diaperinus, buscando uma correlação entre as bactérias presentes no inseto e na cama, em aviários para produção de frangos de corte no oeste do Paraná, Brasil. No primeiro experimento, insetos adultos foram coletados em 14 granjas. No segundo experimento, foram coletados insetos e material da cama de 12 diferentes aviários. Os adultos foram anestesiados com éter, macerados em solução salina e o material da cama colhido por "swab" de arrasto. O enriquecimento não seletivo foi feito com caldo BHI e o seletivo com Rappaport-Vassiliadis e Tetrationato. Os meios de cultivo para plaqueamento foram o ágar MacConkey, ágar Salmonella-Shigella e ágar verde-brilhante. As enterobactérias isoladas em adultos de A. diaperinus foram: Proteus Vulgaris, P. mirabilis, Escherichia Coli, Enterobacter spp., E. agglomerans, E. gergoviae, E. sakasakii, Citrobacter Diversus e Klebsiella Pneumoniae, enquanto que na cama foram encontrados Proteus Vulgaris, P. mirabilis, Escherichia Coli, Enterobacter Agglomerans. Não foram isoladas Salmonella spp. do inseto nem da cama e P. vulgaris foi a predominante. E. coli foi freqüente nas granjas, tanto na cama como nos insetos e contribuem na disseminação da colibacilose em aviários.