Nitrates and herbicides cause higher mortality than the traditional organic fertilizers on the grain beetle, Tenebrio molitor

Aurora M. Castilla; Tom Dauwe; Isabel Mora; Jim Malone; Raimon Guitart

doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-009-9883-5

Nitrates and herbicides cause higher mortality than the traditional organic fertilizers on the grain beetle, Tenebrio molitor

Aurora M. Castilla, Tom Dauwe, Isabel Mora, Jim Malone, Raimon Guitart

Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We examined experimentally whether fertilizers or herbicides commonly used by farmers affect mortality of the adult grain beetle Tenebrio molitor. After a period of 4 weeks in direct contact with all treatments, a higher percentage of mortality occurred in contact with nitrates than with pig manure or turkey litter. Herbicides (a mixture of glyphosate and 2,4-d) caused 100% mortality. Our results also indicate that more beetles escaped from the herbicides and nitrate treatments than from the others, suggesting some kind of behavioural avoidance of toxic environments. The traditional organic fertilizers appear to be less toxic than inorganic fertilizers for Tenebrio molitor. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	101-105
Journal	Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
Volume	84
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-009-9883-5
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2010

Keywords

2,4-d
Beetle behavior
Farming management
Glyphosate
Insect conservation
Nitrates
Wildlife conservation
Yellow mealworm

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title = "Nitrates and herbicides cause higher mortality than the traditional organic fertilizers on the grain beetle, Tenebrio molitor",

abstract = "We examined experimentally whether fertilizers or herbicides commonly used by farmers affect mortality of the adult grain beetle Tenebrio molitor. After a period of 4 weeks in direct contact with all treatments, a higher percentage of mortality occurred in contact with nitrates than with pig manure or turkey litter. Herbicides (a mixture of glyphosate and 2,4-d) caused 100% mortality. Our results also indicate that more beetles escaped from the herbicides and nitrate treatments than from the others, suggesting some kind of behavioural avoidance of toxic environments. The traditional organic fertilizers appear to be less toxic than inorganic fertilizers for Tenebrio molitor. {\textcopyright} 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.",

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Nitrates and herbicides cause higher mortality than the traditional organic fertilizers on the grain beetle, Tenebrio molitor. / Castilla, Aurora M.; Dauwe, Tom; Mora, Isabel; Malone, Jim; Guitart, Raimon.

In: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, Vol. 84, 01.01.2010, p. 101-105.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

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AU - Dauwe, Tom

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AU - Malone, Jim

AU - Guitart, Raimon

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KW - 2,4-d

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KW - Farming management

KW - Glyphosate

KW - Insect conservation

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KW - Wildlife conservation

KW - Yellow mealworm

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