Impact of different condition on population density and weight loss ratio of Callosobruchus Spp beetles, and its control

Determining population density is a crucial factor in assessing the damage caused by pests in stored products seed. In our study, we examined the population density and weight loss ratio of Callosobruchus chinensis (Linnaeus, 1758) and Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius, 1775) in foodstuffs derived from seeds, specifically cowpea and faba bean. We conducted the study at two different temperatures, 25 and 30 °C.Our findings indicated that faba bean was more susceptible to infestation by C. chinensis compared to cowpea, whereas cowpea was more susceptible to C. maculatus infestation than faba bean. Temperature and the type of food significantly influenced the population densities of the beetles. Under suitable conditions, the population density of C. chinensis was found to be lower than that of C. maculatus. Furthermore, we observed that the weight loss ratio was highest after infestation by C. maculatus, reaching 49.6% over a four-month period. Fractionation of proteins using SDS-PAGE revealed differences in protein bands between infested and uninfested cowpea seeds with C. maculatus.Additionally, we tested the effectiveness of various plant powders at different concentrations against C. maculatus. The results demonstrated that cloves and cumin were the most efficient in controlling the infestation. Overall, our study highlights the importance of population density in assessing pest damage in stored products, and provides insights into the susceptibility of different food types to infestation by C. chinensis and C. maculatus, as well as the impact of temperature and plant powders in controlling these pests.