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. 2020 Mar 20;11(3):196.
doi: 10.3390/insects11030196.

Selection of Predatory Mites for the Biological Control of Potato Tuber Moth in Stored Potatoes

Juan R Gallego  1 , Otto Caicedo  1 , Manuel Gamez  1 , Joaquin Hernandez  1 , Tomas Cabello  1
Affiliations

Selection of Predatory Mites for the Biological Control of Potato Tuber Moth in Stored Potatoes

Juan R Gallego et al. Insects. .

Abstract

Worldwide, the potato tuber moth (PTM), Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller), is one of the most severe pests affecting potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), whether in open-air crops or during tuber storage. This work examines the potential control of this pest by two species of predatory mites, Macrocheles robustulus (Berlese) and Blattisocius tarsalis (Berlese), on pest eggs under laboratory conditions. In the two first assays, the acceptance rate of the pest eggs was assessed for each predatory mite. Then, in a third assay, the functional response of B. tarsalis was studied. The results showed that Macrocheles robustulus did not prey on the pest eggs (number of eggs surviving = 4.33 ± 0.38), whereas B. tarsalis did (number of eggs surviving = 0.5 ± 0.5). Likewise, B. tarsalis showed a type II functional response when it killed the eggs. The results showed the potential use of Blattisocius tarsalis as a biological control agent of P. operculella in potato under storage conditions.

Keywords: Blattisocius tarsalis; Macrocheles robustulus; Phthorimaea operculella; functional response; prey acceptance.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Number (±SE) of survivors and the mortality rate of Phthorimaea operculella eggs when exposed for 48 h to an adult female mite of (a) Macrocheles robustulus or (b) Blattisocius tarsalis compared to the check, in the acceptance of prey assay test under laboratory conditions (values with different letters mean significant differences at p = 0.05).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Type II functional response (number of pest eggs killed) of the adult female of Blattisocius tarsalis when different egg densities of Phthorimaea operculella were offered as prey for 24-hours under laboratory conditions (whisker plot: 95% confidence intervals).
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