Lecture notes on Pulse beetle (Callosobruchus chinensis)

Distribution
Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Japan, Philippines and Indonesia.
Adult beetle is small and cylindrieal, with deflexed head and blunt anal end It is shining black or dark brown in colour Antennne are terminally club shaped
Life cycle
Breeding occurs from March to September Vemale lays as many as 300-400 cylindrical and glistening white eggs in 20-60 day after mating They are glued to the grains in batches, Larvae (grubs) hatch out in 5-9 days. Their body is long and constricted, and dirty white in colour. They crawl about and feed on the flour, or bore into slightly damaged grains and feed inside them. Larval life lasts for 22- 52 days Full-grown larvae are  and curved They pupate inside the grains, or in the grain flour Pupal stage lusts for neurly 7 days. Adults emerge from within the grains after makingrounded holes. There would be 5 or 6 generations in a year
Damage
Adults and larvne cause serious damages to pulses and grains
They bore into pulses and grains
and feed inside them making tunnels. This severely hollows out und damages pules and In heavy infestation, avconsiderable amount of frass is formed, which forms the food for the young larva- Often, the pest attacks leguminous pods in the field, before they are curied to storage godowns
Control measures
(i) Thoroughly dry grains and other food products before storage
(ii) Clean and disinfect godowns, flour mills, storage bins, bags, etc. before storing food products.
(iii) Destroy infested food products.
(iv) Treat food products with mild insecticides before storage
(v) Periodic fumigation with methyl bromide, ethylene dibromide, etc. to kill larva and adults.