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As per the records in scientific literature, there are several hundred species of insects that are associated with stored grains/ stored grain products out of which about 14 species are largely responsible for most of the damage. The insect pests of stored grains mainly include the beetles and moths, and the pulse beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis is one of the most economically important insect pests of stored grains mainly pulses such as green gram, kala chana, kabuli chana, etc. The orientation behavior of insects is a fascinating aspect of their survival and interaction with the environment. Elucidation of the factors governing the orientational responses of insect pests can help in their management. The findings of this study can be incorporated in the eco-friendly IPM pest management programs that work in harmony with insect behaviors. Such techniques work in multiple ways, viz. by disrupting orientation towards food source &/or by disrupting orientation of mates towards each other, etc. Interference with orientation along with feeding disruption ultimately affects subsequent growth and development, and establishment of the pest population. Thus, the methods that target the orientation behavior of insects help to manage them effectively. In this study, an effort was made to study the orientational responses of an economically important insect pest of stored grains, the pulse beetle or Callosobruchus chinensis (Coleoptera: Bruchidae). An important outcome of this small-scale study was the development of an innovative, effective and time-saving method to remove and trap the pulse beetles from the infested pulses in the laboratory conditions, and the same can be upscaled for commercial use with slight modifications in future.
Anupam Varshney Sharma (Wed,) studied this question.