Pest management of postharvest potatoes: lethal, sublethal and transgenerational effects of the ectoparasitic mite Pyemotes zhonghuajia on the potato worm Phthorimaea operculella

Abstract

BACKGROUNDPotato Solanum tuberosum is one of the most important food crops in the world, playing a significant role in global food security. However, many potato industries and farms may suffer losses of tuber yield and quality in storages due to lepidopteran pests. Here, we evaluated the effectiveness of an ectoparasitic idiobiont mite Pyemotes zhonghuajia in biological control of the potato tuber moth (PTM) Phthorimaea operculella by determining the lethal, sublethal (non‐consumptive) and transgenerational effects of P. zhonghuajia of various population densities and exposure durations on PTM survival, development and reproduction.RESULTSPyemotes zhonghuajia females were capable of killing all instar stages of PTM, while resistance to mite parasitism increased with the development of PTM life stage. The mortality of mature larvae (i.e., 4th instar) and pupae increased with the increase of mite density and exposure duration. P. zhonghuajia imposed significant negative sublethal impacts on PTM pupation rate, female fecundity and adult longevity but not on immature development. The sublethal stress was transgenerational, resulting in lower reproduction in the offspring generation.CONCLUSIONP. zhonghuajia induces lethal, sublethal and transgenerational effects and significantly decreases PTM survival and reproductive out, demonstrating its high efficiency in biological control of PTM. Our study provides insight into the mechanisms underlying the non‐consumptive effects of parasitism in an ectoparasite‐host system and delivers critical information for the design and implementation of augmentative releases of P. zhonghuajia in the biological control of PTM in potato storages.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Residue Analysis and Dietary Risk Assessment of Pymetrozine in Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and Chrysanthemum morifolium (Ramat)

“…Potato (S. tuberosum) is the fourth largest food crop after maize, wheat and rice [1]. China is the country with the largest S. tuberosum cultivation area in the world.…”