Effective Trap for Black Beetle (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) and Other Insects That Cause Damage to Poultry

Abstract

Darkling beetles Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer, 1796) and A. laevigatus (Fabricius, 1781) (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) are the main pests of young chicks in poultry industry. A. diaperinus had already been recorded causing damage to the poultry industry in Crimea. Its larvae and adults attack chicks in the mass. Significant cannibalism is recorded for A. laevigatus in laboratory conditions. We suppose that complex of harmful insects in poultries will include species Ulomoides dermestoides (Chevrolat, 1878) which was introduced recently to Ukraine. Properties of these introduced harmful beetles, providing their survival and invulnerability to full liquidation in poultry houses, are firstly shown, namely: mass rearing of A. diaperinus due to their predaceous feeding on living birds, ability of females of U. dermestoides to oviposit eggs during 1,5 months after the single copulation, and prolongation of duration of the larval stages up to 96–110 days (usually 30 days long) due to a cannibalism only. The features of development and behavior of U. dermestoides are shown resembling these of A. diaperinus. New data on behavior, duration and peculiarities of life cycle were carried out during 2012–2019 under the laboratory conditions and received for the first time. The practical role of A. diaperinus, A. laevigatus and U. dermestoides is discussed. The forecast regarding the negative impact of U. dermestoides on the aviculture and poultry industry development in the Southern Ukraine is presented. Present contribution is beneficial not only for specialists in fundamental research, but also for practitioners, in particular, for the personnel of State Veterinary and Plant Health as well as the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service. The structure and model of effective trap for collecting of larvae and adults of harmful darkling beetles at the presence of living birds in poultry houses is presented and recommended here for production and application in poultry industry.