The cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius), is a common pest of stored foods. A study of digestive proteinases in L. serricorne was performed to identify potential targets for proteinaceous biopesticides, such as proteinase inhibitors. Optimal casein hydrolysis by luminal proteinases of L. serricorne was in pH 8.5-9.0 buffers, although the pH of luminal contents was slightly acidic...

When symbioses between insects and bacteria are discussed, the origin of a given association is regularly of interest. We examined the evolution of the symbiosis between reed beetles (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Donaciinae) and intracellular symbionts belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae. We analyzed the partial sequence of the 16S rRNA to assess the phylogenetic relationships with bacteria we fo...

Detailed morphological and dimensional analysis of the detritus deposited in the galleries of woodboring insects was performed for some of the most common xylophagous insect larvae in timber construction in Spain. The samples studied belong to six species of four common families of borers: Cerambycidae, Anobiidae, Curculionidae and Lyctidae. The samples were provided by Spanish and German compa...