Long-term effectiveness of grain protectants and structural treatments against Liposcelis decolor (Pearman) (Psocoptera: Liposcelididae), a pest of stored products

Numerous strains of the psocid pest, Liposcelis decolor (Pearman) were collected from farms and central storages and interbred to form three representative strains from three major grain-growing states of Australia: Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales. These were tested against the grain protectants and structural treatments currently registered for use in Australia. Recently, L decolor has become an important pest of stored grain in Australia, particularly in the eastern and southern parts. There is no published information available on management of this pest and the current pest-management strategy, based predominantly on phosphine fumigation, has failed to control infestations of this pest in numerous grain storages in Australia. Alternative methods of control such as use of contact insecticides were explored in the present work to supplement phosphine fumigation to manage this new pest. From eight grain protectants tested as admixtures, only chlorpyrifos-methyl, bioresmethrin plus piperonyl butoxide, and fenitrothion were found to provide long term (3–9 months) protection against all three strains of L decolor. Chlorpyrifos-methyl gave the best protection, providing a minimum of 7.5 to a maximum of 9 months protection, depending on the strains tested. Three structural treatments, azamethiphos, azamethiphos plus carbaryl and permethrin provided long-term control (8–9 months) of all three strains of L decolor on galvanised steel surfaces, with permethrin delivering 9 months protection against all strains. However, all of these treatments failed to provide long-term control of any strains on concrete surfaces. We conclude that chlorpyrifos-methyl as a grain admixture can be incorporated into fumigation strategies to optimise the control of L decolor infestations. Structural treatments, such as permethrin can be used to support a fumigation strategy in storages made of galvanised steel.