Abstract
New marking methods for studying small biocontrol agents (especially predatory mites) are needed because many current techniques are expensive, ineffective or not applicable to small organisms. The objective of this study was to determine whether SmartWater, a liquid and permanent fluorescent dye, can be used to mark Phytoseiulus persimilis for experimentation without any deleterious effects on its dispersal, behavior, reproduction, and biocontrol efficacy. Our results show that there were no significant differences in movement, inter-plant dispersal, feeding behavior, survivability, and reproduction between marked P. persimilis and control individuals sprayed with water. We also found that the SmartWater mark lasted for the duration of the mites’ life, indicating strong durability over time. Marking efficacy may be reduced, due to a trade-off between batch marking efficacy and the possibility of drowning study organisms. However, we feel future research could improve liquid marking techniques that would reduce this risk. Overall, this study concludes that SmartWater could be a useful marking tool for predatory mites in both laboratory and field studies.
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Data availability
All the files with mite movement, dispersal, egg consumption, egg laying, and survival data are available online (Rosser et al. 2022).
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Acknowledgements
This research was funded through the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets (#C00184GG, #C00247GG). We thank our technical staff Stephen Hesler, Karen Wentworth, Gabrielle Brind’Amour, Linnea Meier, Yaro Grynyshyn, and Nick Afflito for their assistance in conducting this research. We thank Dr. Kerik Cox for the use of his low tunnel strawberry planting for the field dispersal study. We also thank the Cornell Statistical Consulting Unit for their guidance on experimental design and statistics. Finally, we extend our gratitude to our reviewers for their comments and suggestions on this manuscript.
Funding
This research was funded through the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets (#C00184GG, #C00247GG).
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All conceived the ideas and methodology for this research. ER. and SW. collected and analyzed the data, and ER. led the writing of the manuscript. All authors contributed significantly to the drafts and edits, ultimately giving approval for publication.
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Rosser, E., Willden, S.A. & Loeb, G.M. Effects of SmartWater, a fluorescent mark, on the dispersal, behavior, and biocontrol efficacy of Phytoseiulus persimilis. Exp Appl Acarol 87, 163–174 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-022-00732-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-022-00732-9