Über die Entwicklung des schwarzbraunen Mehlkäfers, Tribolium destructor Uyttenb

Summary The rearing in diets with low doses of carnitin causes cramp‐like contractions of the mid gut musculature of the adults and, in part, also the skeletal muscles. Blind‐sac‐like bulges are caused in the head region by the contractions of the stomach muscles and at the same time there is a strong epithelial breakdown in the mid gut. The contractions of the skeletal muscles often lead to an almost right‐angled bending upwards of the abdomen. The cuticle of the adults is often not coloured; this is a secondary manifestation caused by the muscle contractions and the break‐down of the gut epithelium.