REARING THE MAIZE WEEVIL (COLEOPTERA, CURCULIONIDAE) ON MAIZE GENOTYPES WHEN AFLATOXIN-PRODUCING ASPERGILLUS-FLAVUS AND ASPERGILLUS-PARASITICUS ISOLATES WERE PRESENT

Maize weevils, S. zeamais Motschulsky, either untreated or exposed to spores of A. flavus (Link) or A. parasiticus Speare, were fed on several endosperm genotypes of maize, Zea mays L. The maize with high-amylose germplasm sustained significantly more weevil damage and less overall aflatoxin contamination. Exposure of weevils to an A. parasiticus isolate resulted in significantly higher weevil mortality and aflatoxin contamination than exposure to an A. flavus isolate or to no treatment. Levels of aflatoxin contamination were positively correlated with weevil mortality; high levels of toxin did not completely eliminate weevil infestation from the grain.