82463 - Parasitology of Plant Products and Foodstuff

Learning outcomes

This course trains students to:
At the end of the course, the student is able to recognize the main arthropods and harmful animals that contaminate foodstuffs and to use ecologically and economically sustainable protection techniques for reducing their populations.

Course contents

1. General information relating to teaching (Total teaching unit 1 hour)

Presentation and discussion of the program in frontal and online lessons, exercises, teaching material, student reception, exams. Aims of the teaching, importance of the discipline.

Biological and ethological characteristics of food parasites, types of damage, risks for human health. Ecology of pests in food industry. Pest prevention: design of buildings and machinery in order to prevent infestations, inspection of environments and monitoring of pests (trace analysis, use of traps). Methods of analysis of foodstuffs to detect the presence or traces of pests; filth-test. Means and methods of pest control: mechanical, physical (modified and controlled atmospheres, high and low temperatures, light radiations); biotechnics (pheromones); chemicals: mode of action of insecticides and rodenticides. Methods of application of insecticides; fumigation.

3 Special part:

3.1 Arachnida: general information; subclass Acari: outline of morphology and biology of species harmful to foodstuffs: Acarus siro, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Glyciphagus domesticus, Lepidoglyphus destructor and Carpoglyphus lactis.

3.2 Insects:

Description, biology and control of the following pest species:

DICTYOPTERA Blattidae: Blatta orientalis, Periplaneta americana; Blattellidae: Blattella germanica, Supella longipalpa;Polyphagidae: Polyphaga aegyptiaca;

LEPIDOPTERA: Tineidae: Nemapogon granella; Gelechidae: Sitotroga cerealella; Piralidae: Ephestia kuehniella, Plodia interpunctella);

DIPTERA: Psychodidae: Clogmia albipunctata; Piophilidae: Piophila casei; Drosophilidae: Drosophila melanogaster; Muscidae: Musca domestica; Calliforidae: Calliphora spp.; Sarcophagidae: Sarcophaga spp.

COLEOPTERA: Anobiidae: Stegobium paniceum, Lasioderma serricorne; Dermestidae: Dermestes lardarius., Trogoderma granarium; Bruchidae: Acanthoscelides obtectus; Cleridae: Necrobia rufipes; Bostrichidae: Rhyzopertha dominica; Tenebrionidae: Tenebrio molitor, Tribolium castaneum, Tribolium confusum; Cucujidae: Cryptolestes sp.; Silvanidae: Oryzaephilus surinamensis; Chrysomelidae: Acanthoscelides obtectus; Dryophtoridae (Rincoforidi): Sitophilus granarius, S. oryzae, S. zeamais).

3.3 RODENTS:

Muridae: Generalities, species harmful to foodstuffs: Mus domesticus, Rattus rattus and R. norvegicus. Prevention, monitoring and rodent control.

4. Laboratory exercises

4.1 - Exercise: observation on microscope of preimaginal and live adult stages of: Tenebrio molitor, Tribolium castaneum, Tribolium confusum Rhyzopertha dominica, Sitophilus oryzae, Sitophilus granarius, Stegobium paniceum, Oryzaephilus surinamensis, Piophila casei, Tribolium castaneum, Trogoderma granarium; Sarcophaga sp .; observation of damage to cereals and other commodities caused by pests.

Readings/Bibliography

Readings/Bibliography

Süss L., Guerra P. Gli infestanti nelle industrie alimentari : la gestione sulle derrate e nell'industria : riconoscimento, modalità di prevenzione, monitoraggio e lotta. Bologna 2021: Avenue media, 2021
279 pp.

Süss L., Locatelli D.P.. I parassiti delle derrate. Riconoscimento e gestione delle infestazioni nelle industrie alimentari. “Edagricole, Bologna 2001, XIV+363 pp.

Trematerra P., Suss L., Prontuario di entomologia merceologica e urbana, Aracne Editrice, Roma 2007.

Pagani M., Savoldelli S., Schiaparelli A. Manuale pratico per il monitoraggio e il riconoscimento degli insetti infestanti le industrie alimentari.[Forlì] : Edizioni Sinergitec, Forlì 2009. 2 volumi

Teaching methods

Teaching methods

Front and online lectures on the IOL platform: https://iol.unibo.it/. Laboratory exercises with execution of analysis methods. Observation of specimens of live arthropods or their fragments.

Assessment methods

The exam is unique for both modules and includes a written and an oral part.

The written part consists of a multiple-choice test with 4 possible answers, only one of which is correct. There are 26 questions in total (13 from the pathology module and 13 from the parasitology module). Each correct answer is worth 1 point, and there are no penalties for unanswered or incorrect answers. The time allowed is 40 minutes. The exam is usually held (depending on availability) on the computers in the IT classroom, or alternatively in a different classroom (announced on the Almaesami website) in paper format. The test is corrected immediately afterwards. Students are admitted to the oral exam if they pass the written test with a score of at least 16 points (with at least 8 correct answers in each module). The oral exam is worth 4 points (2 points for each module) and consists of identifying postharvest diseases or parasites.

Students with specific learning disabilities (DSA) are kindly asked to notify both the lecturer and the Unibo DSA office at least one week in advance if they require any accommodations

Registration on Almaesami is mandatory; the exam registration list will open at least 10 days before the exam date and will close two days prior to the exam. If a student decides not to take the exam on the booked date, it is mandatory to remove their name from the list before the registration deadline.

The course, teaching materials, and written exam questions will be in Italian. Erasmus students may answer the written exam questions in English.

Teaching tools

Computer, Videoprojector, microscope

Office hours

See the website of Antonio Martini