Factors Affecting Climbing and Tunneling Behavior of the Lesser Mealworm (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

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Abstract
The propensity of late-instar Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) for climbing and tunneling was evaluated with larvae at several densities in chambers containing poultry litter, both with and without a base of clay soil as a pupation site, and an elevated section of polystyrene insulation. In chambers with soil, no climbing or tunneling was observed until larval density reached 500 larvae per chamber; at this higher density the amount of damage caused by individual larvae was low (0.3–0.5 holes per tunneler). When soil was lacking, 36% of the larvae climbed at the lowest-density treatment (10 larvae per chamber); the number of tunnelers increased with increasing density to a maximum of 60 immatures per section of insulation, although the proportion of climbing larvae stabilized at ca. 6% at the higher-density treatments. Larvae in chambers without soil caused ca. 4-fold as much damage at higher densities (two holes per tunneler) than at lower densities (ca. 0.5 holes per climber). Mortality among non climbing larvae increased with density, and was much higher in chambers without soil than in chambers with soil at all densities. Trapping and observations of the beetles in a poultry house during a 24-h period demonstrated that the climbing population was composed almost solely of late in stars and adults. Early and late in stars were present in comparable numbers in the non climbing population in the litter. Larvae climbed almost exclusively during the night, and this activity was maximal between 2000 and 2400 hours EST. Adults displayed broader peaks of activity, but also climbed primarily during periods of darkness.

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