Oviposition by adults and chill-hardiness of each stage of a hide beetle, Dermestes carnivorus F.

Abstract

Under 28-34℃ and 12L-12D conditions, females started egg-laying 6-20 days after their emergence into adults, and the number of eggs laid by one female abult ranged from 61 to 259, averaging 148.8. The male and female abults were still alive on the 50th day when the experiment was abandoned, though the females had laid no eggs during the last 7 days. At 23-25℃, male and female adults survived for 89.8 and 112.2 days, respectively in average, and the mean number of eggs laid was 58.8per female. When chilled at 4-5℃, eggs were killed within a week, fully-grown larvae and pupae survived for less then 16 weeks, and other stages could not tolerate 8 weeks.