Effect of aflatoxin B1 on development, survival and fecundity of Ahasverus advena (Waltl)

Several studies have examined the toxicity of aflatoxin B1 to insects, but there have been very few studies on insects that are regularly exposed to this mycotoxin as part of their diet. Research reported the effect of the mycotoxin aflatoxin B1 in the diet on the fungus grain beetle, Ahasverus advena (Waltl), which is often found in moldy grain. The effects of aflatoxin B1 in diet on developmental time, survival rate and fecundity of A. advena were evaluated with artificial diets containing 0 to 16,000 ppm aflatoxin B1. Aflatoxin B1 increased one-day-old larvae developmental time at concentrations as low as 2000 ppm and increased larval mortality at concentration as low as 500 ppm. For one-day old larvae, there was 99% mortality at 8000 ppm. The LD50 for the one-day-old larvae, five-day-old larvae and adults were 1671, 2696, and 5768 ppm, respectively. The total number of offspring declined to 38 offspring at 4000 ppm aflatoxin B1 compared with 151 offspring in the untreated controls. Ahasverus advena was much less sensitive to aflatoxin B1 by 200-2000 times higher than other insects and other animals.