ABSTRACT
Tribolium castaneum Herbst 1797 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), an important pest of stored grains and byproducts, is naturally infected by Gregarina cuneata Stein 1848 (Apicomplexa: Gregarinidae). Changes in the life cycle of insects caused by the parasite development in the midgut were studied. Trophozoites, gamonts (solitary and associated), and gametocysts were present in the midgut of the insects. In young trophozoites, the apical region differentiated into an epimerite that firmly attached the parasite to the host epithelial cells. With maturation, trophozoites developed in gamonts that were associated with the initiation of sexual reproduction in the cell cycle, culminating in the formation of the spherical gametocyst. Morpho-functional analyses indicated that gregarines absorb nutrients from infected cells and can occlude the midgut as they develop. Consequently, nutritional depletion may interfere with the host's physiology, causing decreased growth, delayed development, and high mortality rates of the parasitized insects. These results suggest G. cuneata could be an important biological agent for controlling T. castaneum in integrated pest management programs.
