The first pest of stored rice in East Asia? - A maize/rice weevil impression from the Tian Lu Shan site in China. (May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Obata, Hiroki; Miyaura, Mai; Sun, Guoping
• Is Part Of: Journal of stored products research. Volume 92(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-05
• Subjects: Rice grain pest -- Rice cultivation -- Hemudu -- Maize weevil -- Neolithic -- China; Food -- Storage -- Periodicals; Farm produce -- Storage -- Diseases and injuries -- Periodicals; Entomology -- Periodicals; Food Contamination -- Periodicals; Food Preservation -- Periodicals; Insect Control -- Periodicals; Aliments -- Entreposage -- Périodiques; Produits agricoles -- Entreposage -- Maladies et dommages -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 631.568
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jspr.2021.101811
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-474X

Abstract

Abstract: In 2018, an impression of a maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais MOTSCHULSKY. or a rice weevil, S. oryzae L., was discovered on a potsherd from the Tian Luo Shan site, Zhejiang Province, China. This sample is the earliest archaeological record of this insect in China and possibly the earliest pest to harm rice grains in East Asia. To investigate the history of the evolution and propagation of rice pest insects in prehistoric East Asia, this paper evaluated the impression of the insect pest on a stored product. However, it was revealed that the harmed object might not be limited to rice because of the insect's bigger body size. In the previous report written in Japanese on the discovery of the weevil impression, it was identified as S. zeamais/oryzae without showing concrete length data of archaeological and modern weevils or detail key points for identification. And the report mainly focused on the history of origin and propagation of product food pest in the world. Therefore, this paper discusses diagnostic key points for identification as maize/rice weevil, with providing these detail data again. Highlights: A first discovery of possible product pest insect from the Neolithic site in China. A valuable discovery in elucidating the origin and epidemic history of grain pests in China. The earliest example of Sitophilus zeamais/oryzae in continental East Asia in archaeological context.