417 



Boll weevils are not mutualistically associated with bacteria and under natural 

 conditions normally bacteria are not present in the gut. Solitary, wild weevils 

 feed on noncontaininated cotton buds containing compounds that have anti-bacterial 

 properties. Data accumulated during the past 5 years of operation of the Cast 

 Laboratory show that the boll weevil gut could support a highly varied bacterial 

 population, and relative composition of the flora may change from day to day. 

 The data from this study showed that bacterially contaminated weevils produced 

 less pheromone, and had lower lipid and amino acid levels than noncontarainated 

 Insects. With implementation of improved sanitary measures the problem of 

 bacteria contamination has been essentially eliminated. 



819. , and Thompson, A. C. 1980. Effects of internal bacterial contaminants 

 on mass reared boll weevils ( Anthonomus grandis Boheman) . Miss. Agric. 

 For. Exp. Stn. Tech. Bull. 103, 6 pp. 



Field collected weevils normally have a small number of bacteria in the gut. 

 Data accumulati'^d over the past five years of operation of the Cast Laboratory 

 show that the boll weevil gut can support a highly varied bacterial population 

 and that the relative composition of the flora may change from day to day. Our 

 data show that contaminated weevils produced less pheromone and have lower lipid 

 and amino acid levels than noncontaminateS" insects. This adverse effect on - 

 ♦■qualTEy of pertormance of mass reared adults makes them of litGle value in an 

 eradication program. Sanitation practices put into effect at the Cast Labora- 

 tory as a result of these studies have essentially eliminated bacterial con- 

 tamination. This, to our knowledge, is the first attempt to evaluate the 

 effects of bacterial contamination on the quality of artifically reared weevils 

 or any other insectary reared insect. 



820. ; Wyatt, J. M. ; and Lindig, 0. H. 1977. Method for surface-sterilization 

 of boll weevil eggs and the determination of microbial contamination of 

 adults. Southwest. Entomol. 2: 32-36. 



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