Evaluation of the Egg Predator Blattisocius tarsalis (Mesostigmata: Blattisociidae) for the Biological Control of the Potato Tuber Moth Tecia solanivora under Storage Conditions

Jorge Gavara, Tomás Cabello, Juan Ramón Gallego, Estrella Hernández-Suarez and Ana Piedra-Buena Díaz
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Jorge Gavara: Departamento Protección Vegetal, Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias (ICIA), 38200 La Laguna, Spain
Tomás Cabello: Research Centre for Mediterranean Intensive Agrosystems and Agri-Food Biotechnology (CIAMBITAL), University of Almeria, 04120 Cañada de San Urbano(La), Spain
Juan Ramón Gallego: Research Centre for Mediterranean Intensive Agrosystems and Agri-Food Biotechnology (CIAMBITAL), University of Almeria, 04120 Cañada de San Urbano(La), Spain
Estrella Hernández-Suarez: Departamento Protección Vegetal, Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias (ICIA), 38200 La Laguna, Spain
Ana Piedra-Buena Díaz: Departamento Protección Vegetal, Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias (ICIA), 38200 La Laguna, Spain

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 7, 1-14

Abstract: Tecia solanivora is the most prevalent pest causing damage to potato crops in fields in the Canary Islands, but even more so in the postharvest storage period. However, currently, there are no authorised chemical insecticides for potato storage facilities. Analysis of the viability of the predator mite Blattisocius tarsalis as a biological control agent for this moth was carried out. A study of the temperature effect showed B. tarsalis maintains predatory capacity in the range of 10–27 °C. Though predatory activity increases with temperature, no differences in mortality rates were observed between 10 and 20 °C (33.52 ± 2.44 and 40.14 ± 3.54% efficacy rate, respectively), nor between 25 and 27 °C (59.26 ± 4.59 and 75.19 ± 4.64% efficacy rate, respectively). Under microcosm conditions, at low pest infestation (10 eggs), B. tarsalis achieved the highest mortality of eggs at a density of 5 mites, with an efficacy rate of 91.67 ± 8.33%. At high infestation levels (50 eggs), maximum mortality was achieved with a density of 10 mites and efficacy of 98.52 ± 1.48%. The choice-assay showed no preference of B. tarsalis between T. solanivora and Phthorimaea operculella , suggesting this mite could be useful in mixed infestations of potato moths. The results show B. tarsalis is a very good candidate as a control agent in storage conditions and even in mixed infestations of T. solanivora and P. operculella .

Keywords: warehouse; natural enemies; predatory mite; non-refrigerated; efficacy; microcosm; Phthorimaea operculella (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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