IMPACT OF MILLING DEGREE ON LIPOSCELIS-PAETUS POPULATION-GROWTH RATE AND ASSESSMENT OF MILLED RICE WEIGHT-LOSS DUE TO INFESTATION

Liposcelis paetus can survive and breed on milled rice, causing a smal l dry-weight loss to the commodity. The extent of the losses was found to be dependent upon the degree of milling and the insect population density. The rate of population increase was greater on lightly milled rice (slope = 0.042) than on well-milled rice (slope = 0.028). After 14 weeks' infestation, greater weight losses were incurred in the ligh tly milled than the well-milled rice (2.88 and 1.20%, respectively). A postinfestation decrease in lipid and, to a lesser extent, protein co ntent was detected in the lightly milled samples (35.88 and 3.59%, res pectively).