Abstract

                                Lasioderma serricorne (F.) commonly called cigarette beetle is a cosmopolitan, polyphagous and major insect pest of stored turmeric that is known to be resistant to the phosphine fumigation. Practical studies were carried out to assess the efficacy of TNAU UV-Light Trap in mass trapping of L. serricorne during the pre and post fumigation periods and its role in phosphine resistance management in L. serricorne in turmeric warehouses. Adult beetles collected from UV light traps before and after fumigation were tested through bioassay on the basis of the response of adults to discriminating concentration of 0.07mg L-1 for 24 h exposure period using modified FAO method (FAO, 1975). The results of the present study showed that, the mean number of adults caught per trap/day before and after fumigation ranged from 52.7 to 83.5 and 9.6 to 18.2 beetles per light trap, respectively. The bioassay results showed that, the phosphine resistance level in L. serricorne collected from UV- Light traps ten days before and after fumigation ranged from 52.85 to 65.37 and 68.24 to 76.53 per cent, respectively. Further, the beetles caught in large numbers in light traps during the post fumigation period were found to be more resistant to phosphine than the pre fumigation population. Hence, UV- Light trap can be used as one of the resistance management strategy for phosphine resistance in L. serricorne in turmeric warehouses since mass trapping of L. serricorne was recorded in TNAU- UV Light trap during pre and post fumigation periods.

Key words : TNAU UV- Light trap, Lasioderma serricorne, Fumigation, Phosphine resistance, Turmeric warehouses.