Densities of the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in the presence of the salticid spider Plexippus paykulli (Araneae: Salticidae)

Abstract

Despite the many field applications that have been conducted for controlling pests of stored products; using biological control agents,  the matter has not reached a sufficient extent to introduce these techniques into Integrated Pest Management (IPM). This laboratory  study came as an initial measurement of the possibility of benefiting from spiders in combating the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum  (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae); The prey was chosen Based on its exploitable behavior that facilitates predation on stored  materials, results under long-term laboratory conditions - 35 °C and the relative humidity on 75 RH. were successful in reducing pest density; recording 86.3% reduction percentages of the red flour beetle larvae and 77.7% for the adult stages; the salticid spider Plexippus  paykulli (Audouin) (Araneae: Salticidae) does not attack the adult individuals; was not recorded in current study; however, the  reduction rates were a direct outcome of the fluctuations in the number of larvae when the predator was present.