FOOD PREFERENCES OF LASIODERMA SERRICORNE (F.) (COLEOPTERA: ANOBIIDAE) ON FOUR TYPES OF TOBACCO

Flue-cured Virginia (FCV), Sun-cured Rustica (SCR), Dark Air-cured (DAC) and Air-cured Burley (ACB) were evaluated for preference by the 4th instar larvae and adult stages of Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae). Nicotine, reducing sugars and starch contents were determined and the impact of chemical factors on preference was worked out. FCV tobacco was preferred by both larval and adult stages with 2.18 and 1.49 beetles, respectively followed by SCR with 1.58 larvae and 1.25 adults. ACB was preferred by minimum number of larvae (0.64) and adults (0.82). Nicotine content was high (4.09%) in SCR, while low (1.42%) in DAC. Maximum reducing sugars (14.27%) and starch (6.89%) was recorded in FCV, while minimum (0.55%) reducing sugars and (1.14%) starch documented for ACB. Significant positive interaction among the larval and adult stages of L. serricorne with reducing sugars and starch revealed that FCV was highly preferred by larval and adult stages due to high contents of reducing sugars and starch, while ACB was least preferred due to low contents of reducing sugars and starch. Nicotine had non-significantly negative effect on the preference of both larvae and adults