Fumigants

[Pierre Zagatti]

Jonathan Sylvestre wrote:

> Dear,
>
> Everyone talked about dermestrid already in drawers.
>
> My question is where dermestrid come from ? How they find the specimens when
> the specimens are in drawers ? I think that they lay their eggs on the
> specimens while those specimens are drying on the board...

No, I've found several times larvae in boxes closed for years. The classical
drawers
made of wood and cardboard are not really tight.
However, I use quarantine drawers to put newly prepared specimens,
before installing them in their final drawer.

> They can't use their vision... I think that they use their smell ?
> If they are no dermestrid in our drawers, there is a way to prevent them
> returning in ? If they use their smell, is the odor of paradychlorobenzen
> make the dermestrid unable to locate the specimens ?

Never read about this, but it's probably like in Nicrophorus spp.: the
females are able to locate nitrogeneous odors released by decaying animals.
Sensory receptors are probably specialized so perception cannot be
masked unless you release the same odor or a close analog.

--
Pierre ZAGATTI
INRA Unite de Phytopharmacie et Mediateurs Chimiques
78026 Versailles Cedex
FRANCE
Tel: (33) 1 30 83 31 18
e-mail zagatti at versailles.inra.fr
http://www.jouy.inra.fr/papillon/