The Population History of Tribolium Free of Sporozoan Infection

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Abstract
Replicates of Tribolium confusum and T. castaneum populations free of coccidian infection (Adelina tribolii) are followed in terms of their census history for 2070 days. This encompasses about 69 continuous beetle generations. From analysis of the data the following major conclusions are drawn All populations are successful in the sense that culture extinction never occurs. T. castaneum persists at a higher mean density then T. confusum when both are unparasitized. When parasitic infection is present, T. confusum is but slightly affected while the mean density of T. castaneum suffers some 60% reduction. T. castaneum characteristically persists with a higher percentage of larvae and pupae and a lower percentage of imagoes than does T. confusum. T. castaneum exhibits a marked fluctuation pattern in terms of total density. T. confusum also displays this but it is of lesser magnitude. It is concluded that the fluctuations result from the operation of intraspecies density-dependent factors and not from systematic alteration of the external, physical environment. In general, the means for grouped replicates afford a reasonable appraisal of the census pattern described by individual cultures.

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