Mortality Patterns in Eight Strains of Flour Beetles

Abstract

Male and female flour beetles were described in terms of one mortality characteristic adult age at death. Four strains of Tribolium confusum and 4 strains of Tribolium castaneum were studied. Death rates were found to depend upon the species, strain, sex, and age of the individuals concerned. Differences between the mortality patterns of the sexes were especially prominent and seemed to have a common character for all strains and for both species.