Biological control of the larger grain borer Prostephanus truncatus (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) in Kenya using a predatory beetle Teretrius nigrescens (Coleoptera: Histeridae)

The establishment of the predatory histerid beetle, Teretrius nigrescens Lewis, following its field release in south eastern Kenya in 1992, and its impact on populations of the larger grain borer, Prostephanus truncatus (Horn), in woodland habitats is evaluated. Pheromone trap catch data show a single strong peak of P. truncatus from November to January, coincident with the short rains. Comparisons of P. truncatus pheromone trap catches before and after predator establishment, and in areas with and without T. nigrescens, show a sustained decline of over 80% in P. truncatus abundance over a 5-year period, following the establishment T. nigrescens. Concurrent laboratory studies of the impact of T. nigrescens on populations of P. truncatus raised on a wood substrate showed a 77% reduction in the growth of the pest population. These results are compared with published findings of the impact of T. nigrescens as a biological control agent of P. truncatus in west Africa.