Publication details
Assessing biological control of Acarus siro by Cheyletus malaccensis under laboratory conditions: Effect of temperatures and prey density
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2008 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Journal of Stored Products Research |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Biotechnology |
| Keywords | mites; biological control |
| Description | In stored grain, the predatory mite Cheyletus spp. may be used to control the pest mite Acarus siro. The efficiency of control depends on many factors, particularly ambient temperature. In this study we investigated the effects of temperature and initial prey density on the preypredator system under laboratory conditions. Ratioresponse models were fitted to estimate the efficiency of control for three temperatures. At 15 C a 90% reduction of A. siro was achieved by releasing nine Cheyletus malaccensis individuals into a population of 100 A. siro individuals in 1 kg of grain. At 20 C, 90% reduction required seven C. malaccensis individuals and at 25 C, it required three C. malaccensis individuals. Without the predator the intrinsic rates of increase of A. siro populations increased with temperature and were highest for an initial density of 100 individuals, revealing some form of positive interaction among A. siro individuals during food processing. |
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