Sublethal effect of thermal stress on reproduction parameters and sexual attraction of Plodia interpunctella

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Iran

2 Zanjan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Zanjan, Iran

10.22124/iprj.2026.31811.1660

Abstract

The present study was designed to evaluate the impact of minimal thermal stress on some reproductive activities of the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner, 1813). Adults at ages of one, three, and five days were exposed to a temperature of 44°C for 18 minutes. The results indicated a significant effect of thermal stress on male insects. The highest and lowest fertility were observed in three-day-old insects in the control and heat-stressed males (144.4 and 16 eggs respectively), representing approximately a 90% reduction in egg production. Additionally, the fecundity rate in the control treatment was 88±2%, while the lowest value in the heat-stressed male treatment was 42±12%. Heat treatments had no effect on mating frequency but influenced the duration of mating in 3-day-old insects. Furthermore, heat stress resulted in a 40-50% reduction in attraction to pheromone traps in wind tunnel. For instance, in the control and one-day-old heat-stressed male treatments, attraction rates were reported as 96.67 ± 3.3% and 53.33 ± 3.3%, respectively. According to the obtained results, the simultaneous 90% reduction in fertility and 58% reduction in egg hatching in the heat-stressed male treatment compared to the control led to a 96% decrease in net progeny. The results indicated that applying sublethal heat stress to adult Indian meal moths can disrupt reproductive activities and meanwhile reduce the number of offspring produced.

Keywords

References

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Plant Pest Research
Volume 15, Issue 4
March 2026
Pages 59-73

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  • Receive Date: 28 September 2025
  • Revise Date: 25 February 2026
  • Accept Date: 14 March 2026

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