Does saprophagy play a significant role in nutrition of Opatrum sabulosum (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)?

Significance of the saprophagous diet for Opatrum sabulosum (Linnaeus, 1761), which is a pest of cultivated crops such as sunflower and maize, is under consideration. Imagoes of that darkling beetle were kept in plastic containers on substrates of different types of soils and litters of natural ecos...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: S. S. Nazimov, V. V. Brygadyrenko
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Oles Honchar Dnipropetrovsk National University 2013-02-01
Series:Vìsnik Dnìpropetrovsʹkogo Unìversitetu: Serìâ Bìologìâ, Ekologìâ
Subjects:
Online Access:http://ecology.dp.ua/index.php/ECO/article/view/75
_version_ 1818954176439255040
author S. S. Nazimov
V. V. Brygadyrenko
author_facet S. S. Nazimov
V. V. Brygadyrenko
author_sort S. S. Nazimov
collection DOAJ
description Significance of the saprophagous diet for Opatrum sabulosum (Linnaeus, 1761), which is a pest of cultivated crops such as sunflower and maize, is under consideration. Imagoes of that darkling beetle were kept in plastic containers on substrates of different types of soils and litters of natural ecosystems and agricultural lands with no access to plant food for 15 days. The control group were kept in cases with no substrate. Every day 720 specimens of the beetles were weighed. If there is no food the almost linear decrease in imago body weight was detected (the 15th day – up to 73.9% of the initial weight). Significant differences in the dynamics of weight loss of the beetles kept on the ordinary chernozem of different types and in cases without any substrate (control) were not found. By the 15th day of the experiment the significant changes of weight of O. sabulosum (L.) imago kept on soils taken from the fields sown with Helianthus annuus (L.), Zea mays (L.), Triticum durum (Dest.) and Brassica napus (L.) were also not registered. Keeping imagoes within 15 days on soils sown with Fagopyrum esculentum (Gilib.) and Beta vulgaris (L.) reduced the beetles’ body weight by 5.86% and 8.02% respectively, as compared to the control (probably due to pesticidal treatment of the crops). In the experiments with the litter of artificial forest plantations, the steppe litter (kaldan) and dead plant debris from the thalweg’s meadow the significant changes in the body weight were not registered. The beetles kept in containers with the litter (fragments of pine needles, grass and leaves of the black poplar) from the sandy alluvial soil significantly reduced the body weight by 6.28%, as compared to the control group. Thus, the body weight gain of O. sabulosum (L.) kept in containers with the plant remains from the studied four ecosystems is not registered. The research results showed that the detritophagy is not typical for that darkling beetle (or at least its role in their feeding is greatly exaggerated).
first_indexed 2024-12-20T10:18:00Z
format Article
id doaj.art-d0a78bf1328945638f918686d63ba027
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2310-0842
2312-301X
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-20T10:18:00Z
publishDate 2013-02-01
publisher Oles Honchar Dnipropetrovsk National University
record_format Article
series Vìsnik Dnìpropetrovsʹkogo Unìversitetu: Serìâ Bìologìâ, Ekologìâ
spelling doaj.art-d0a78bf1328945638f918686d63ba0272022-12-21T19:44:01ZengOles Honchar Dnipropetrovsk National UniversityVìsnik Dnìpropetrovsʹkogo Unìversitetu: Serìâ Bìologìâ, Ekologìâ2310-08422312-301X2013-02-01211435010.15421/01130875Does saprophagy play a significant role in nutrition of Opatrum sabulosum (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)?S. S. Nazimov0V. V. Brygadyrenko1Днепропетровский национальный университет имени Олеся ГончараДнепропетровский национальный университет имени Олеся ГончараSignificance of the saprophagous diet for Opatrum sabulosum (Linnaeus, 1761), which is a pest of cultivated crops such as sunflower and maize, is under consideration. Imagoes of that darkling beetle were kept in plastic containers on substrates of different types of soils and litters of natural ecosystems and agricultural lands with no access to plant food for 15 days. The control group were kept in cases with no substrate. Every day 720 specimens of the beetles were weighed. If there is no food the almost linear decrease in imago body weight was detected (the 15th day – up to 73.9% of the initial weight). Significant differences in the dynamics of weight loss of the beetles kept on the ordinary chernozem of different types and in cases without any substrate (control) were not found. By the 15th day of the experiment the significant changes of weight of O. sabulosum (L.) imago kept on soils taken from the fields sown with Helianthus annuus (L.), Zea mays (L.), Triticum durum (Dest.) and Brassica napus (L.) were also not registered. Keeping imagoes within 15 days on soils sown with Fagopyrum esculentum (Gilib.) and Beta vulgaris (L.) reduced the beetles’ body weight by 5.86% and 8.02% respectively, as compared to the control (probably due to pesticidal treatment of the crops). In the experiments with the litter of artificial forest plantations, the steppe litter (kaldan) and dead plant debris from the thalweg’s meadow the significant changes in the body weight were not registered. The beetles kept in containers with the litter (fragments of pine needles, grass and leaves of the black poplar) from the sandy alluvial soil significantly reduced the body weight by 6.28%, as compared to the control group. Thus, the body weight gain of O. sabulosum (L.) kept in containers with the plant remains from the studied four ecosystems is not registered. The research results showed that the detritophagy is not typical for that darkling beetle (or at least its role in their feeding is greatly exaggerated).http://ecology.dp.ua/index.php/ECO/article/view/75Opatrum sabulosum (Linnaeus, 1761)Tenebrionidaeпищевые предпочтенияустойчивость к потере влагилабораторные эксперименты
spellingShingle S. S. Nazimov
V. V. Brygadyrenko
Does saprophagy play a significant role in nutrition of Opatrum sabulosum (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)?
Vìsnik Dnìpropetrovsʹkogo Unìversitetu: Serìâ Bìologìâ, Ekologìâ
Opatrum sabulosum (Linnaeus, 1761)
Tenebrionidae
пищевые предпочтения
устойчивость к потере влаги
лабораторные эксперименты
title Does saprophagy play a significant role in nutrition of Opatrum sabulosum (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)?
title_full Does saprophagy play a significant role in nutrition of Opatrum sabulosum (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)?
title_fullStr Does saprophagy play a significant role in nutrition of Opatrum sabulosum (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)?
title_full_unstemmed Does saprophagy play a significant role in nutrition of Opatrum sabulosum (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)?
title_short Does saprophagy play a significant role in nutrition of Opatrum sabulosum (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)?
title_sort does saprophagy play a significant role in nutrition of opatrum sabulosum coleoptera tenebrionidae
topic Opatrum sabulosum (Linnaeus, 1761)
Tenebrionidae
пищевые предпочтения
устойчивость к потере влаги
лабораторные эксперименты
url http://ecology.dp.ua/index.php/ECO/article/view/75
work_keys_str_mv AT ssnazimov doessaprophagyplayasignificantroleinnutritionofopatrumsabulosumcoleopteratenebrionidae
AT vvbrygadyrenko doessaprophagyplayasignificantroleinnutritionofopatrumsabulosumcoleopteratenebrionidae