ACTING OF Sitophilus zeamais (COLEOPTERA: CURCULIONIDAE) IN DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF CORN AND ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS

Abstract

The objective of this work was to investigate the development potential and of destruction of the weevil Sitophilus zeamais Mots. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in three corn varieties (crosspiece, milhometro and hibra) stored in three atmospheric conditions (hermetic, semi-hermetic and no-hermetic). Were appraised at the end of the storage period, 60 days, the adults emergency and the loss of weight of the grains. The variety milhometro was shown more favorable to the development of the weevil, because it presented the largest values of adults' emergency and loss of weight of the grains in the semi-hermetic and no-hermetic conditions. Already the variety crosspiece, when being stored in the hermetic condition, presented smaller emergency of adults and loss of weight of grains, turning, therefore, evident it influences her/it of the hermetic condition in the biology of this species, because it provided smaller incidence of insects and loss of weight of the same product in the varieties that were shown more acceptable.