Potential of using iolinid mites for the biological control of Aculops lycopersici
Two iolinid predatory mites were studied in the laboratory as potential biological control agents of the tomato russet mite, Aculops lycopersici (Acari: Eriophyidae). The development, reproduction and predation capacity of Pronematus ubiquitus (Augmentative BCA (PM 6/3)) and Homeopronematus anconai (Acari: Iolinidae) on A. lycopersici were investigated. For P. ubiquitus, development time from egg to adult at 25°C averaged 9.59 days on A. lycopersici, 9.31 on A. lycopersici and Typha angustifolia pollen and 9.52 days on pollen only. H. anconai required slightly longer time periods to complete development. The survival of immature stages of each predatory mite exceeded 83 % on all diets. In experiments, both predators caused a substantial reduction of A. lycopersici with the immature population reduced by 78% and 57% by P. ubiquitus and H. anconai, respectively. The addition of pollen lowered this population reduction to 35% and 27% for the respective predators. The results suggest that both P. ubiquitus and H. anconai have good potential to suppress A. lycopersici populations and that T. angustifolia pollen can support population establishment of the predators.
Sources
Vervaet L, Parapurath G, De Vis R, Van Leeuwen T, De Clercq P (2022) Potential of two omnivorous iolinid mites as predators of the tomato russet mite, Aculops lycopersici. Journal of Pest Science 95, 1-10.