This thesis reports the effects of disturbance and harbourage on the fitness of Tribolium confusum and T. castaneum, as well as the the efficacy of pheromone monitoring traps for monitoring for populations of Tribolium in laboratory and mill settings. Behavioural studies were also carried out on mill and laboratory-reared beetles and the distributions of both species in a mill were examined. Twenty-four hour sieving disturbance decreased the rates of dispersal for both species, and decreased T. castaneum fecundity. Rolling disturbance decreased T. confusum dispersal rate while shaking disturbance decreased T. castaneum dispersal rate. When undisturbed beetles were given differing amounts of flour in the presence or absence of harbourage, beetles laid more eggs in larger amounts of flour, but harbourage only affected T. castaneum at one level of flour (2 g). Throughout disturbance and harbourage experiments, T. castaneum laid more eggs than T. confusum. Pheromone monitoring traps placed in three Canadian flour mills were not useful in predicting the degree of infestation inside Simons rollstands. Pheromone monitoring traps also showed low efficacy (i.e. caught few beetles) in both mill and laboratory settings, and T. confusum was caught less often than T. castaneum in both mills and in a warehouse. Mill-strain beetles of both species were caught less often than laboratory-strain beetles in a warehouse. In one Canadian flour mill, both T. castaneum and T. confusum were found inside rollstands but the two species were spatially segregated from one another, rarely being found together in the same rollstand. In contrast to this, both species were consistently found together in samples taken from the same mill less than a year beforehand. In behavioural laboratory studies, beetles collected directly from a mill moved slower than beetles collected from a laboratory culture and this response was shown to be phenotypic. Mill-strain and laboratory-strain beetles also differed in burrowing tendencies, with T. confusum from the laboratory strain burrowing less than T. confusum from a mill and T. castaneum from different mills sometimes burrowing more and sometimes less than T. castaneum from the laboratory strain. / October 2008

This thesis reports the effects of disturbance and harbourage on the fitness of Tribolium confusum and T. castaneum, as well as the the efficacy of pheromone monitoring traps for monitoring for populations of Tribolium in laboratory and mill settings. Behavioural studies were also carried out on mill and laboratory-reared beetles and the distributions of both species in a mill were examined. Twenty-four hour sieving disturbance decreased the rates of dispersal for both species, and decreased T. castaneum fecundity. Rolling disturbance decreased T. confusum dispersal rate while shaking disturbance decreased T. castaneum dispersal rate. When undisturbed beetles were given differing amounts of flour in the presence or absence of harbourage, beetles laid more eggs in larger amounts of flour, but harbourage only affected T. castaneum at one level of flour (2 g). Throughout disturbance and harbourage experiments, T. castaneum laid more eggs than T. confusum. Pheromone monitoring traps placed in three Canadian flour mills were not useful in predicting the degree of infestation inside Simons rollstands. Pheromone monitoring traps also showed low efficacy (i.e. caught few beetles) in both mill and laboratory settings, and T. confusum was caught less often than T. castaneum in both mills and in a warehouse. Mill-strain beetles of both species were caught less often than laboratory-strain beetles in a warehouse. In one Canadian flour mill, both T. castaneum and T. confusum were found inside rollstands but the two species were spatially segregated from one another, rarely being found together in the same rollstand. In contrast to this, both species were consistently found together in samples taken from the same mill less than a year beforehand. In behavioural laboratory studies, beetles collected directly from a mill moved slower than beetles collected from a laboratory culture and this response was shown to be phenotypic. Mill-strain and laboratory-strain beetles also differed in burrowing tendencies, with T. confusum from the laboratory strain burrowing less than T. confusum from a mill and T. castaneum from different mills sometimes burrowing more and sometimes less than T. castaneum from the laboratory strain.

This thesis reports the effects of disturbance and harbourage on the fitness of Tribolium confusum and T. castaneum, as well as the the efficacy of pheromone monitoring traps for monitoring for populations of Tribolium in laboratory and mill settings. Behavioural studies were also carried out on mill and laboratory-reared beetles and the distributions of both species in a mill were examined. Twenty-four hour sieving disturbance decreased the rates of dispersal for both species, and decreased T. castaneum fecundity. Rolling disturbance decreased T. confusum dispersal rate while shaking disturbance decreased T. castaneum dispersal rate. When undisturbed beetles were given differing amounts of flour in the presence or absence of harbourage, beetles laid more eggs in larger amounts of flour, but harbourage only affected T. castaneum at one level of flour (2 g). Throughout disturbance and harbourage experiments, T. castaneum laid more eggs than T. confusum. Pheromone monitoring traps placed in three Canadian flour mills were not useful in predicting the degree of infestation inside Simons rollstands. Pheromone monitoring traps also showed low efficacy (i.e. caught few beetles) in both mill and laboratory settings, and T. confusum was caught less often than T. castaneum in both mills and in a warehouse. Mill-strain beetles of both species were caught less often than laboratory-strain beetles in a warehouse. In one Canadian flour mill, both T. castaneum and T. confusum were found inside rollstands but the two species were spatially segregated from one another, rarely being found together in the same rollstand. In contrast to this, both species were consistently found together in samples taken from the same mill less than a year beforehand. In behavioural laboratory studies, beetles collected directly from a mill moved slower than beetles collected from a laboratory culture and this response was shown to be phenotypic. Mill-strain and laboratory-strain beetles also differed in burrowing tendencies, with T. confusum from the laboratory strain burrowing less than T. confusum from a mill and T. castaneum from different mills sometimes burrowing more and sometimes less than T. castaneum from the laboratory strain.

Endocannabinoids, and the fatty acid amides from which they are a member, have garnered greater scientific interest in the last two decades due to the cannabimimetic properties of these endogenous molecules. The most well-known of these is Anandamide, which has thus far been discovered in several species of animal ranging from C. elegans, fruit flies, to bovine and humans. Because of the importance and increasing impact of these compounds a brief overview is first presented herein, with a major focus on the N-acyldopamines due to the direct impact they potentially pose to human physiology. Secondly, the detection and quantitative analysis of these molecules was conducted in the recently fully genome sequenced honeybee and red flour beetle, due in part to recent research showing the existence of these molecules in D. melanogaster, to which no known cannabinoid receptors had been found to date. Interest in these potentially new model organisms may provide additional insight not only into the endocannabinoids but also as potential targets for protection of honeybees and pest control of red flour beetles. Utilizing established HPLC-MS methods for the detection and quantification of these compounds provided a series of endogenous results for these molecules within both farmed and feral honeybees and the red flour beetle. Additionally, a protein sequence and motif homology study with a newly discovered acyltransferase from Fruit flies shows strong evidence that a similar enzyme is expressed in both honeybees and red flour beetles. Therefore providing future steps for the continuation of this research to better elucidate and quantify the endocannabinoids as well as determine the biosynthetic metabolism within these organisms.

Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are found on the outer cuticle of all terrestrial arthropods. Although their primary function is in desiccation prevention, these compounds have also been shown to play a variety of roles in insect chemical communication, from species and sex recognition to providing cues of dominance and attractiveness. However, despite growing evidence of their versatility as cues, our knowledge of how CHCs are used in mating interactions is limited to Drosophila and field crickets. In this thesis I investigate the roles CHCs play in interactions at each stage of the mating process in the broad-horned flour beetle Gnatocerus cornutus. I assess the relative importance of CHCs in influencing male reproductive success and examine the complex interplay between different episodes of selection and the mechanisms of sexual selection acting on males. I use a combination of behavioural assays, experimental manipulations and gas chromatography. First, I identify the role of CHCs as cues of sperm competition risk and intensity, demonstrating how the presence of male-derived CHCs on the cuticles of virgin females elicits males to adjust their pre- and post-copulatory investment (chapter 2), by providing information on the state of their competitive environment. I then go on to look at the stability of CHCs as cues of sperm competition over time, finding that they are highly sensitive to environmental degradation (chapter 3) and do not persist in the habitat substrate of this species. Next, I investigate how male CHCs determine fighting and mating success. By estimating and comparing the strength and form of sexual selection imposed by male-male competition and female mate choice, I show that male CHCs are subject to strong antagonistic sexual selection (chapter 4). By experimentally manipulating male CHC profile, I then attempt to verify the selection gradients estimated for female choice 3 (chapter 5). However, my experimental manipulation fails to verify the importance of male CHCs for female mate choice. Finally, I explore the role of same-sex sexual behaviour (SSB) in determining male reproductive success (chapter 6). I find evidence to suggest that SSB may in fact be a form of aggression in its own right, and demonstrate that SSB and fighting may provide equivalent means for males to overcome female choice and secure a mating advantage. My results indicate that CHCs play key roles as chemical cues throughout the mating process and significantly impact male reproductive success. My thesis reveals the intricate nature of the relationships between mechanisms of sexual selection, alongside highlighting the need to consider both the social and physical environment when investigating the importance of chemical cues. I discuss the implications of these results for the evolution of male CHCs and how my findings can be used to further our knowledge of this field.