Abstract

Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val is one of the insect pests of wheat flour and seeds of cereals. It consumes the endosperm and causes loss of grain and flour weight. In this study the efficacy of powder from Allium sativum L. was tested using Completely Randomized Design (CRD) against the storage pest T. confusum in the laboratory. Antifeedant efficacy was tested against larval and pupal stages of T. confusum. The experiment was conducted with 5 treatments and 50 replications for each treatment at 30±1 oC and 60±5 % RH in dark condition. Treatments were ratios of powder of A. sativum ranging from 50 to 250 mg/g wheat flour. In control we used only wheat flour. Mortality of larvae and pupae, Duration of larval and pupal stages and Larval and pupal weights were tested at different ratios. Results showed that the mortality rate of T. confusum larvae increased significantly with the concentration from 12 to 26 percent while mortality rate of control was 8 percent. Mortality rate of T. confusum pupae had no significant differences among ratios. Larval weights (1.7±0.2 to 2.5±0.1 mg) of all treatments in day 14 of larval stage were significantly different from control (2.9±0.1 mg) (P<0.01). Pupal weights in the first day of the stage showed that only concentration of 250mg/g significantly differ from control. Duration of larval stage in all treatments (21.6±0.29 to 27.3±0.78 day) was significantly longer than the control (19.1±0.24 day) (P<0.01) and increased with the concentration. Findings indicated that A. sativum affect larval traits comparing to pupal stage and could be considered as safe model for new synthetic pesticides to control immatures of T. confusum.