Biology and predation rate of Gaeolaelaps aculeifer (Acari: Laelapidae) on fungus gnats, Lycoriella auripila under laboratory conditions

عنوان دوره: اولین کنگره بین المللی حشره شناسی ایران

Lycoriella auripila Winnertz (Dip., Sciaridae) is one of the most frequently seen pests of cultivated mushrooms, Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Imbach. Uncontrolled populations of mushroom sciarid flies can result in substantial yield losses due to tunneling in the stalks and associated disease spread by adult flies. One of the common laelapid mites in soil habitats is Gaeolaelaps aculeifer Canestrini that, feeds on different small arthropods, fungi and nematodes. Furthermore, it is an efficient predator of eggs and larvae of Sciarid flies. In this study, biology and predation rate of G. aculeifer were studied at 23±1 °C, 60 ± 5% R.H. and photoperiod of 0: 24 (L: D) h under laboratory conditions. The data were analyzed based on the two-sex consumption rate-MS Chart. Based on the results, the egg incubation period and mean developmental time of larva, protonymph, deutonymph and adult stages of G. aculeifer on 3rd instar larvae of sciarid were 3.76, 1.35, 3.86, 4.11 and 52.62 day, respectively. Additionally, our results indicated that stage consumption rate of larva, protonymph, deutonymph and adults were 0.08, 1.73, 3.16and 75.92larvae, respectively. The net predation rate of G. aculeifer was 69.61 sciarid larvae. The results proved that at the older stage, especially female of G. aculeifer has a good potential to be used as an efficient biological control agent against the sciarid flies, in mushroom production.

Gaeolaelaps aculeifer؛ sciarid flies؛ Predation rate؛ Agaricus bisporus