Responses of Pests to Fumigation. VI.—Water Losses and the Mortality of<i>Calandra</i>Spp. at reduced Pressures

Abstract

The water loss and mortality of Calandra granaria (L.) and C. oryzae (L.) have been studied at low pressures in controlled humidities. The mortality of both species is closely associated with the loss of water under these conditions, a loss which is prevented by a high humidity in the surrounding air. C. oryzae is consistently more susceptible than C. granaria . Substantially linear relations were observed between water loss and decreasing relative humidity (range 0–85%), increasing period of exposure (range 4–16 hr.), and decreasing pressure (range 2–8 cm. mercury). At lower pressures (3–4 mm. mercury), the Water loss and mortality of both species were greatly reduced, suggesting that some physical change had occurred in the insects. A covariance analysis of the mortality response, using the loss of water as a concomitant variate, showed that there was no significant part of the mortality that was not accounted for by the water loss from the insects.