Influence of Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue, Festuca arundinacea Shreb., Seeds on the Adult Survival and Reproduction of the Grain Beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.)(Coleoptera : Silvanidae)

Abstract

The survival and reproduction of O. surinamensis adults reared on ground seeds of tall fescue from endophyte-infected (Neotyphodium coeno-phialum) and endophyte-free cultivars were examined. The numbers of surviving adults reared for two weeks on seeds from three endophyte-infected cultivars (mean 2.2) were significantly lower than those of surviving adults reared on three endophyte-free cultivars (mean 9.5) (p<0.0001; ANOVA). After 10 weeks, no new adults appeared on seeds of three endophyte-infected cultivars, whereas large increases in the numbers of adults occurred on seeds of three endophyte-free cultivars. These results indicate that the presence of N. coenophialum in seeds of tall fescue adversely affects the survival and population growth of O. surinamensis.