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Evaluation of Tarsonemus bilobatus and Podosphaera xanthii as suitable resources for Proprioseiopsis mexicanus in cucurbit systems in the Southeast USA

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Abstract

Tritrophic relationships involving tarsonemids and predatory phytoseiids are common in a variety of agroecosystems, but due to the wide range of diets in both families, it is necessary to understand what food resources they are consuming to determine potential impact on crops. We investigated a frequent association of cucurbit powdery mildew (Podosphaera xanthii), Tarsonemus bilobatus, and Proprioseiopsis mexicanus in watermelon and pumpkin fields to determine whether P. mexicanus is consuming either or both of the other organisms. We also examined developmental and reproductive capability of P. mexicanus on these diets. If P. mexicanus is an effective predator of T. bilobatus, it may also be useful in controlling pest tarsonemids, such as broad mites. Proprioseiopsis mexicanus either starved or escaped from arenas rather than consume P. xanthii. When consuming T. bilobatus, P. mexicanus females developed from larva to adult in ca. 3 days. On this diet, the preoviposition period was ca. 2 days and P. mexicanus laid 1.7 eggs/day. These results are comparable to some of the higher-quality non-prey resources investigated in the literature. Starved female P. mexicanus consumed 6.5 T. bilobatus of mixed stages in 1 h. This study provides support for further research into the importance of non-pest tarsonemids as a resource to maintain the presence of generalist predatory mites as an early-intervention natural enemy. Further work should examine the efficacy of P. mexicanus as a natural enemy of economically important pest tarsonemids.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the lab of Chandrasekar Kousik (USDA Vegetable Laboratory, Charleston, SC, USA) for providing Podosphaera xanthii conidia used for this experiment. We thank the lab of Anthony Keinath (Clemson University CREC, Charleston, SC, USA) for allowing surveys of their experimental cucurbit fields. We also thank Ron Ochoa (USDA Systematic Entomology Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, USA) for help in identifying T. bilobatus. This work was supported by the NIFA Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant No. 2018-67012-27994/Project accession no. 1015537 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Funding

This work was supported by the NIFA Postdoctoral Fellowship grant no. 2018-67012-27994/Project accession no. 1015537 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Global Environmental Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA

    Monica A. Farfan

  2. Coastal Research and Education Center, Clemson University, Charleston, SC, 29414, USA

    Monica A. Farfan & John Coffey

  3. USDA-ARS U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, Charleston, SC, 29414, USA

    John Coffey

  4. USDA-ARS Temperate Fruit and Vegetable Research, Wapato, WA, 98951, USA

    Rebecca A. Schmidt-Jeffris

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  1. Monica A. Farfan
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All authors contributed to the study concept and design. Material preparation and data collection were performed by MAF and JC. Data analysis was performed by MAF. The first draft of the manuscript was written by MAF and all authors commented on the previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Monica A. Farfan.

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Farfan, M.A., Coffey, J. & Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A. Evaluation of Tarsonemus bilobatus and Podosphaera xanthii as suitable resources for Proprioseiopsis mexicanus in cucurbit systems in the Southeast USA. Exp Appl Acarol 85, 31–40 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-021-00658-8

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