Time-course mortality and radiosensitivity indices in Tribolium spp. developing from irradiated pupae

Effects of gamma irradiation (1-5 Krad) on the time-course mortality and radiosensitivity indices in adults of Tribolium anaphe, T. brevicornis, T. castaneum, T. destructor, T. freemani developing from irradiated 1 day old and pre-emergence (4-5 day old) pupae were studied. Adult longevity was significantly (P<0.001) affected by irradiation and was linearly dose dependent. T. destructor was markedly more radioresistant than the other species at all dose levels and had a longer life expectancy. The mean survival times of adults developing from irradiated early and late pupae were shorter in females than in males for all the species. The radiosensitivity indices did not vary widely among the species and these values decreased as the dose increased in all the species which clearly indicate that the resistance of the species was dose-dependent. (author)