Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds from Tempered and Incubated Grain Mediate Attraction by a Primary but Not Secondary Stored Product Insect Pest in Wheat.

ABSTRACT: There has been a dearth of research elucidating the behavioral effect of microbially-produced volatile organic compounds on insects in postharvest agriculture. Demonstrating attraction to MVOC's by stored product insects would provide an additional source of unique behaviorally-relevant stimuli to protect postharvest commodities at food facilities. Here, we assessed the behavioral response of a primary (Rhyzopertha dominica) and secondary (Tribolium castaneum) grain pest to bouquets of volatiles produced by whole wheat that were untempered, or tempered to 12%, 15%, or 19% grain moisture and incubated for 9, 18, or 27 days. We hypothesized that MVOC's may be more important for the secondary feeder because they signal that otherwise unusable, intact grains have become susceptible by weakenin

SUBMITTER: Van Winkle T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8801404 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature