Insect Infestation of Stored Oats in Florida and Field Evaluation of a Device for Counting Insects Electronically

Abstract

Automated methods of monitoring stored grain for insect pests will contribute to early detection and aid in management of pest problems. An insect population infesting stored oats at a seed processing plant in north-central Florida was studied to test a device for counting insects electronically (Electronic Grain Probe Insect Counter, EGPIC), and to characterize the storage environment. The device counts insects as they fall through an infrared beam incorporated into a modified grain probe (pitfall) trap and transmits the counts to a computer for accumulation and storage. Eight traps were inserted into the surface of the grain bulk, and the insects trapped were identified and counted manually at weekly intervals. Grain temperature and moisture content also were recorded for each trap location. Manual and automatic counts were compared to estimate error in the EGPIC system. Both over- and undercounting occurred, and errors ranged from -79.4 to 82.4%. The mean absolute value of error (+/- SE) was 31.7% (+/- 4.3). At least 31 species, or higher taxa, were detected, but the psocid Liposcelis entomophila (Enderlein) and the foreign grain beetle, Ahasverus advena (Waltl), accounted for 88% of the captured insects. Species diversity, phenology, and spatial distribution are presented, as well as temporal and spatial distribution of grain temperature and moisture content. The data sets generated will find application in population modeling and development of integrated pest management systems for stored grain.

Hole Density and Capture of Stored-Product Insect Pests in Grain Probe Traps

“…An electronic count is generated whenever an insect that has crawled into a probe trap falls through the sensor head, and this information is transmitted to a computer via beam generation/ detection circuitry. Prototype versions of EGPIC Þrst used the WBII probe trap (Shuman et al 1996) and then the clear Lexan probe trap (Arbogast et al 2000) for the probe trap body. The Lexan probe trap was used in the inverted position to reduce entry of grain particles (Subramanyam et al 1989), which would generate additional electronic counts.…”

Psocid: A new risk for global food security and safety

“…Turner (2002) observed that severe infestation of L. bostrychophila may taint foodstuffs and physically damage grains. They have also been found in abundance in other food processing industries (Trematerra and Fiorilli, 1999;Arbogast et al, 2000). Pallets in the food industry not only serve as hiding and harboring places for psocids but also serve as a means of transport outside of the industry.…”

Sampling of Bemisia tabaci adults using a pre-programmed autonomous pest control robot

“…Slaughter et al (2008) proposed a general purpose autonomous robotic system for in-row weed control, allowing precise guidance for detection and identification of weeds. Robotics has been further applied to insect pest control, including pest recognition (Zhu and Zhang, 2011) and pest counting (Arbogast et al, 2000). Such autonomous robots could accordingly record positions of pest occurrence, spray chemicals to pests, and evaluate control efforts.…”