Mortality effects of hypercapnia in modified atmospheres on larval and adult stages of red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (Herbst)

Insect pests not only damaged field crops during the growing season, but also injured stored grain and stored food commodities. The development of substitute treatments for pest control in food products is an increasing demand from the food industry, which should meet consumer demands for the minimum use or elimination of pesticides. Modified atmospheres with higher concentrations of atmospheric gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2) provide a cost-effective method to kill pests of stored products. CO2 is one of the hastiest option for arthropods control among latest commercial treatments, proposing complete control within hours. In present study aimed to determine the efficacy of CO2 against different stages of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) that affect stored-food products. Different levels of the carbon dioxide like 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45% were used to protect the different flours such as chickpea, wheat, peanuts, porridge, rice and maize from the larvae and adult of red flour beetle under laboratory conditions at 27 ± 2 °C with Light (L): Dark (D) 12: 12, and 65 ± 5% relative humidity. Results showed that mortality increased with the increase of concentration CO2 level.