Laboratory tests on the ability of Oryzaephilus surinamensis adults to locate different types of chocolate varying in quantity of cocoa

Abstract

Results obtained by olfactometric trials on chocolate preferences of the sawtoothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) (Coleoptera Silvanidae), adults testing unpackaged commercial chocolate realized with different quantity of cocoa are reported. The following five chocolate types of the same brand were tested: chocolate with 30% cocoa; chocolate with 50% cocoa; chocolate with 70% cocoa; chocolate with 85% cocoa; chocolate with 90% cocoa. The present study has shown that adults of O. surinamensis could establish different levels of infestation on the five tested types of chocolates. The chocolate type with the less percentage of cocoa (30%) was found as the most preferable one by O. surinamansis compared with the other types tested. © 2016, Universita degli Studi di Bologna, Department of Agroenvironmental Sciences and Technologies. All right reserved.