Efetividade de inseticidas comerciais sobre Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)

Abstract

Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer, 1797) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), popularly known as Lesser Mealworm, is an important pest for poultry farming worldwide. Their presence in aviaries generates health and economy problems, be by affecting the development of birds, being carriers of bacteria, viruses and parasites, or causing structural damage to aviaries. Its main control method is through the use of insecticides based on pyrethroids and organophosphates. The present objective study evaluates, in laboratory settings, the effectiveness of three commercial insecticides against adults and larvae of A. diaperinus. The results obtained in this study demonstrate a variable effectiveness of the products, making further studies necessary to evaluate the possible development of insect resistance to insecticides. At the end of the experiment, the following results were obtained: Substance A presented mortality of 93% in larvae and 73% in adults, Substance B presented 62% mortality in larvae and 21% in adults, and Substance C 81% in larvae and 46% in adults. A variation was observed between the results obtained in this work and those present in the literature, making more studies necessary to evaluate the possible cause of this variance.