BioOne.org will be down briefly for maintenance on 17 December 2024 between 18:00-22:00 Pacific Time US. We apologize for any inconvenience.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 August 2009 Molecular Techniques for Detection of Tribolium confusum Infestations in Stored Products
K. Nowaczyk, A. Obrepalska-Steplowska, M. Gawlak, J. E. Throne, P. Olejarski, J. Nawrot
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

The confused flour beetle, Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is a stored-product pest that contaminates a wide range of food products, from flour and cereals to spices. The insect reduces food quality and is responsible for large economic losses every year. Although several methods for detection of stored-product pests are common and widely used, they are time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, establishing molecular methods of detection of stored-product pests could provide a useful alternative method. We have undertaken attempts to establish methods of detection of T. confusum based on molecular biology techniques of standard and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Total DNA of T. confusum and red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), used as a negative control, was isolated from insects and used as a template in standard and real-time PCR reactions. Specific primers have been designed on the basis of sequences of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) fragment of rDNA and subunit I of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase of T. confusum available in the GenBank database. Standard PCR reactions with primers specific to the ITS fragment proved to be reliable and sensitive. Real-time PCR reactions with primers specific for mitochondrial DNA are considered to serve as a supplemental detection method for quantitative assessment of the infestation level.

K. Nowaczyk, A. Obrepalska-Steplowska, M. Gawlak, J. E. Throne, P. Olejarski, and J. Nawrot "Molecular Techniques for Detection of Tribolium confusum Infestations in Stored Products," Journal of Economic Entomology 102(4), 1691-1695, (1 August 2009). https://doi.org/10.1603/029.102.0437
Received: 12 September 2008; Accepted: 1 January 2009; Published: 1 August 2009
JOURNAL ARTICLE
5 PAGES

This article is only available to subscribers.
It is not available for individual sale.
+ SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

KEYWORDS
detection
real-time PCR
stored-product pests
Tribolium confusum
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top