Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Rearing system for the predatory phytoseiid Euseius concordis (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

  • Published:
Experimental and Applied Acarology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Several species of predatory mites, especially those of the family Phytoseiidae, are potentially useful for the control of pest mites and insects. Among the phytoseiids, Euseius concordis (Chant), a species commonly found in South America, has been studied for possible use as biological control agent of pest mites. Given that Euseius species are known to feed on plant leaves and on pollen, the objective of this study was to determine plant species and pollen sources suitable to establish a pilot method of production of that species, based on a set of comparisons in the laboratory. Out of four plant species evaluated in the study, higher survivorship of E. concordis females in the absence of supplementary food was observed on leaflets of Canavalia ensiformis L. Out of two pollen types, higher survivorship was obtained on pollen of Typha domingensis L. In a subsequent step, the population of E. concordis increased 19.3× within 21 days when that pollen of T. domingensis was offered to the predator on plantlets of C. ensiformis, at 25.0 ± 1 °C, 70.0 ± 10% RH and 12 h photophase. Future studies may confirm the economic viability of this setup for the mass production of E. concordis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adar E, Inbar M, Gal S, Doron N, Zhang ZQ, Palevsky E (2012) Plant-feeding and non-plant feeding phytoseiids: differences in behavior and cheliceral morphology. Exp Appl Acarol 58:341–357

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Arenas PA, Scarpa GF (2003) The consumption of Typha domingensis Pers. (Typhaceae) pollen among the ethnic groups of the Gran Chaco, South America. Econ Bot 57:181–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bellini MR (2008) Manejo de Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) em plantas ornamentais. Thesis Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Universidade de São Paulo. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/91/91131/tde-26092008-111138/

  • Biobest (2014) Sustainable crop management. http://www.biobestgroup.com. Accessed on 08 Jan 2018

  • Cardoso MSM, Vieira MR, Figueira JC, Silva HAS (2010) Atividade predatória de Euseius citrifolius Denmark & Muma (Acari: Phytoseiidae) sobre Tenuipalpus heveae Baker (Acari: Tenuipalpidae). Arq Inst Biol 77:471–476

    Google Scholar 

  • Carrillo D, Moraes GJ, Peña JP (2015) Prospects for biological control of plant feeding mites and other harmful organisms. Progress in biological control. Springer, Basel

    Google Scholar 

  • Chi H (1988) Life table analysis incorporating both sexes and variable development rates among individuals. Environ Entomol 17:26–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chi H (2008) TWOSEX-MSCHART. A computer program for age stage, two-sex life table analysis. http://140.120.197.173/Ecology/

  • Costa EC, Teodoro AV, Rêgo AS, Pedro-Neto M, Sarmento RA (2014) Functional response of Euseius concordis to densities of different developmental stages of the cassava green mite. Exp Appl Acarol 64:277–286

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Demite PR, McMurtry JA, Moraes GJ (2014) Phytoseiidae database: a website for taxonomic and distributional information on phytoseiid mites (Acari). Zootaxa 3795:571–577

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Demite PR, Moraes GJ, McMurtry JA, Denmark HA, Castilho RC (2017). Phytoseiidae database. www.lea.esalq.usp.br/phytoseiidae/

  • Escalona C, Vásquez C (2005) Efecto de las dietas de alimentación sobre la biología y tabla de vida de Euseius concordis (Chant) (Acari: Phytoseiidae). Bioagro 17:109–114

    Google Scholar 

  • Furtado IP, Moraes GJ (1998) Biology of Euseius citrifolius, a candidate for the biological control of Mononychellus tanajoa (Acari: Phytoseiidae, Tetranychidae). Syst Appl Acarol 3:43–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goleva I, Zebitz CPW (2013) Suitability of different pollen as alternative food for the predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii (Acari, Phytoseiidae). Exp Appl Acarol 61:259–283

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gomez-Moya CA, Lima TPS, Morais EGF, Gondim MGC Jr, Moraes GJ (2017) Hosts of Raoiella indica Hirst (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) native to the Brazilian Amazon. J Agric Sci 9:86–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Grafton-Cardwell EE, Ouyang Y (1996) Influence of citrus leaf nutrition on survivorship, sex ratio and reproduction of Euseius tularensis (Acari: Phytoseiidae). Environ Entomol 25:1020–1025

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gravena S, Coletti A, Yamamoto PT (1993) Influence of green cover with Ageratum conyzoides and Eupatorium pauciflorum on predatory and phytophagous mites in citrus. IOBC WPRS Bull 16:104–114

    Google Scholar 

  • Gravena S, Benetoli I, Moreira PHR, Yamamoto PT (1994) Euseius citrifolius Denmark & Muma predation on citrus leprosies mite Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes) (Acari: Phytoseiidae: Tenuipalpidae). Soc Entomol Bras 23:209–218

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall DT (1964) An experimental approach to the dynamics of a natural population of Daphnia galeata mendotae. Ecology 45:94–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu C, Yan L, Li H, Wanj G (2006) Effects of predator-mediated apparent competition on the population dynamics of Tetranychus urticae on apples. Biocontrol 51:453–463

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marques CC, Oliveira CHCM, Oliveira CRF, Matioli AL, Lima Neto IF (2015) Biologia e tabela de vida do ácaro predador Euseius concordis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) em pinhão-manso. Rev Caatinga 28:249–255

    Google Scholar 

  • Massaro M, Martin JPI, Moraes GJ (2016) Factitious food for mass production of predaceous phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) commonly found in Brazil. Exp Appl Acarol 70:411–420

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McMurtry JA, Scriven GT (1965) Insectary production of phytoseiid mites. J Econ Entomol 58:282–284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McMurtry JA, Moraes GJ, Famah Sourassou N (2013) Revision of the lifestyles of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) and implications for biological control strategies. Syst Appl Acarol 18:297–320

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Melo JWS, Domingos C, Gondim MGC Jr, Moraes GJ (2009) Can Euseius alatus DeLeon (Acari: Phytoseiidae) prey on Aceria guerreronis Keifer (Acari: Eriophyidae) in coconut palm? Neotrop Entomol 38:139–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moraes GJ, Lima HC (1983) Biology of Euseius concordis (Chant) (Acarina: Phytoseiidae) a predator of the tomato russet mite. Acarologia 24:251–255

    Google Scholar 

  • Nomikou M, Maurice E, Sabelis MW, Janssen A (2010) Pollen subsidies promote whitefly control through the numerical response of predatory mites. Biocontrol 55:253–260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Palevsky E, Maoz I, Gal S, Argov Y, Berkeley M, Zilberstein M, Noy M, Izhar Y, Abrahams J, Col M (2007) Potential indigenous and exotic predators for the biological control of the newly introduced persea mite, Oligonychus perseae in avocado orchards of Israel. VI World Avocado Congress. ISBN 978-956-17-0413-8

  • Park HH, Shipp L, Buitenhius R, Ahn JJ (2011) Life history parameters of a commercially available Amblyseius swirskii (Acari: Phytoseiidae) fed on cattail (Typha latifolia) pollen and tomato russet mite (Aculops lycopersici). J Asia Pac Entomol 14:497–501

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pijnakker J, García Victoria N, Ramakers PMJ (2005) Biocontrol of the greenhouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum with the predatory mite Euseius ovalis in cut roses. Integrated Control in Protected Crops, Temperate Climate. IOBC WPRS Bull 28(1):205–208

    Google Scholar 

  • Pijnakker J, Souza A, Wäckers F (2014) Euseius gallicus, a bodyguard for roses. Integrated Control in Protected Crops, Temperate Climate. IOBC/WPRS Bull 102:191–195

    Google Scholar 

  • Pijnakker J, Arijs Y, de Souza A et al (2016) The use of Typha angustifolia (cattail) pollen to establish the predatory mites Amblyseius swirskii, Iphiseius degenerans, Euseius ovalis and Euseius gallicus in glasshouse crops. IOBC WPRS Bull 120:47–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Porres MA, McMurtry JA, March RB (1975) Investigations of leaf sap feeding by three species of phytoseiid mites by labelling with radioactive phosphoric acid (H 323 PO4)2. Ann Entomol Soc Am 68:871–872

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Put K, Bollens T, Wäckers F, Pekas A (2016) Non-target effects of commonly used plant protection products in roses on the predatory mite Euseius gallicus Kreiter & Tixier (Acari: Phytoseidae). Pest Manag Sci 72:1373–1380

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ramakers PMJ, van Lieburg MJ (1982) Start of commercial production and introduction of Amblyseius mckenzie sch. & pr. (Acarina: Phytoseiidae) for the control of Thrips tabaci Lind. (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in glasshouses. Med Fac Landbouww Rijksuniv Gent 47:541–545

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarmento RA, Rodrigues DM, Faraji F, Erasmo EAL, Lemos F, Teodoro AV, Kinuchi WT, Santos GR, Pallini A (2011) Suitability of the predatory mites Iphiseiodes zuluagai and Euseius concordis in controlling Polyphagotarsonemus latus and Tetranychus bastosi on Jatropha curcas plants in Brazil. Exp Appl Acarol 53:203–214

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Taiz L, Zeiger E, Møller IM, Murphy A (2014) Plant physiology and development. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland

    Google Scholar 

  • van Rijn PCJ, Tanigoshi LK (1999) Pollen as food for the predatory mites Iphiseius degenerans and Neoseiulus cucumeris (Acari: Phytoseiidae): dietary range and life history. Exp Appl Acarol 23:785–802

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

To Dr. José Eudes de Morais Oliveira and Dr. Carla Patricia Oliveira de Assis, Embrapa Semi-Árido, for their great contribution in collecting the mites used in this study. To Dr. Cristiane Krug, Embrapa Amazonia Ocidental, for providing the oil palm pollen. To CAPES (Brazilian Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel) by granting the scholarship to the first author.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Universidade de São Paulo (ESALQ/USP), Av. Pádua Dias, 11, cx. Postal 9, Piracicaba, SP, CEP 13418-900, Brazil

    Elias Soares de Figueiredo, Marcela Massaro, Stephanie do Carmo & Gilberto José de Moraes

Authors
  1. Elias Soares de Figueiredo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Marcela Massaro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Stephanie do Carmo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gilberto José de Moraes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elias Soares de Figueiredo.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

de Figueiredo, E.S., Massaro, M., do Carmo, S. et al. Rearing system for the predatory phytoseiid Euseius concordis (Acari: Phytoseiidae). Exp Appl Acarol 74, 13–23 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-018-0212-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-018-0212-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation