Application of X-ray Technique to the Detection of Internal Insect Infestation of Grain

During the course of a comprehensive investigation of methods for the determination of internal insect infestation in commercial wheat, radiographic techniques have been developed at this station which provide satisfactory delineation of internal infestation. We have applied these techniques to the observation of the growth of such insects as granary weevil, Sitophilus granaries L., and rice weevil, Sitophilus oryza L., from the hatching of the egg within the kernel through larval and pupal growth to emergence as a mature insect. Although considerable detail is always lost in the reproduction of radiographs during engraving and printing, the accompanying figures (1, 2, 3 and 4) which are radiographs selected to show various stages of insect development, give clear evidence of the utility of the technique