416 



816. SJkorowski, P. F. 1975. Microbiological monitoring in the Robert T. Cast 

 Bell Weevil Rearing Facility. Miss. Agric. For. Exp. Stn. Tech. Bull. 

 71, 21 pp. 



The Robert T. Cast Rearing Laboratory on the campus of Mississippi State Univer- 

 sity wa.'5 designed for mass production of the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis . 

 During the summers of 1972 and 1973 the facility produced about one million 

 boll weevils weekly. The chemo-sterilized male weevils were released in the 

 pilot boll weevil eradication experiment (state-federal) in South Mississippi 

 and adjoining parts of Alabama and Louisiana. Weevil diet is a complex medium 

 subject to attack by many species of microorganisms. The bio-chemical changes 

 produced by microbes alter the nutritional value of the diet. Also, some 

 bacteria and fungi produce exotoxins which may have poisoning effects on 

 weevils. Here we give our experience with contaminant monitoring. 



817. ; Kent, A. D.; Lindig, 0. H.; Wiygul, G.; and Roberson, J. 1980. 

 Laboratory and insectary studies on the use of antibiotics and anti- 

 microbial agents in mass rearing of boll weevils. J. Econ. Entomol. 

 73: 106-110. 



Antibiotics were used to shield the growth medium of larvae of Anthonomus grandis 

 grandis Boheman from microbial contamination without detectable adverse effects 

 on boll we.evil development, egg production, hatch, and male pheromone produc- 

 tion. The standard diet overlain with medicated sand yielded 86-97% newly- 

 emerged weevils with less than 500 bacteria/weevil as compared with 18% from 

 diet with unmedicated sterile sand. 



818. , and Thompson, A. C. 1978. Effects of bacterial load on mass reared 

 boll weevils, Anthonomus grandis . Proceed of Int'l Colloq. on Insect 

 Pests, Progress in Invertebrate Pathology, and 11th Meeting Soc for 

 Invertbr. Path.: 195-196. Agric. College Campus, Prague, CSSR 



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