Movement of Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) adults in response to temperature gradients in vertical and horizontal wheat and corn columns.

The movement and redistribution of adult Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) in stored grain provide important information for detection of insect pests and for simulations of their distribution in grain bins. Movement and redistribution of T. castaneum adults in 1 or 6 d and in wheat or corn were determined in a 100 by 100 by 1000-mm acrylic box with a 10 degrees C/m temperature gradient (from 20 to 30 degrees C) or at a uniform temperature (20, 25, and 30 degrees C). In a vertical corn column with a uniform temperature, approximately 15 and 25% of adults moved to the top or bottom section in 6 d, respectively; and < 30% of adults were recovered in 1-d movement in the middle two sections where insects were initially introduced. In a horizontal or vertical wheat column, > 90% of the adults were recovered in the two middle sections where insects were introduced after 6 d. Adults responded to the temperature gradient and preferred the warmer areas in both wheat and corn. The slower movement in wheat is probably caused by the small granular space in bulk wheat than in bulk corn.