Khapra Beetle / Trogoderma granarium Everts.

Females lay up to 126 eggs (average about 70). 

Under unfavorable conditions (overpopulation, poor-quality food, a large amount of excrement), the larvae enter a state of diapause. They try to hide in narrow places, crawl into cracks in walls, pillars, behind plaster. Here they stop eating, move, slow down breathing and can stay in this state from several weeks to 4 years.

Such larvae are extremely resistant to both low and high critical temperatures, as well as to pesticides.

In unheated rooms, one generation of the pest develops per year, in heated rooms, development continues without winter diapause.

The khapra beetle larvae are harmful. They damage in folds wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, peanuts, cotton and flax seeds, flour and pasta. Younger larvae feed only on crushed or damaged grain, but further damage the whole grain.

There are known precedents when the pest destroyed up to 70% of the grain.

SYNONYM:

Trogoderma affrum

Trogoderma khapra 

Proper use of Pheromone Traps:

The pheromone trap is designed to monitor and reduce pest numbers. In order to determine the population density of pest insects and to identify pest outbreaks (monitoring), it is recommended to use 1 trap per 1 ha.

The trap should be placed as near the culture at the middle of the plant.  Prior to the first flight of the thrips, the traps must be checked on a daily basis, and after the first thrips have been captured, the traps must be checked every 5-7 days. Pheromone dispensers can be changed after 4-6 weeks and sticky tapes can be replaced when is full with pests and dust. Protective measures are based on the results of the monitoring of population density of pest insects.

Trap placement:

For mass capture and sterilization of males, it is recommended to have more than 20 traps per hectare in opened field. In case of a large number of pest insects use 30 traps per 1 ha in opened field. In greenhouses it is recommended to have more than 15 traps per hectare. In case of a large number of pest insects use 20 traps per 1 ha.