Effects of Diet on Population Growth of the Psocids Lepinotus reticulatus and Liposcelis entomophila

We investigated the suitability of 11 diets as culture media for the psocids Lepinotus reticulatus Enderlein (Psocoptera: Trogiidae) and Liposcelis entomophila (Enderlein) (Psocoptera: Liposcelididae). The culture media comprised six diets made of plain cereals, namely, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), corn (Zea mays L.), milo Sorghum bicolor (L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), oats (Avena sativa L.), and rice (Oryza sativa L.), and five artificial diets. We found that, with the exception of corn, L. reticulatus population increase was greater on plain cereal diets than on artificial diets, and the greatest population growth was on oats. There was an inverse relationship between L. reticulatus population growth and diet compactness. L. entomophila populations grew fastest on wheat, barley, and a mixture of cracked wheat, rice krispies, and brewer's yeast (97:2:1, wt:wt). The proportion of females was greater in diets that were less suitable for L. entomophila population growth compared with that in the more suitable diets. Diet compactness had a weak effect on L. entomophila population growth. This study also has established the relative level of suitability of damaged wheat, corn, milo, barley, oats, and rice to L. reticulatus and L. entomophila.