Selection of Predatory Mites for the Biological Control of Potato Tuber Moth in Stored Potatoes

Abstract

Worldwide, the potato tuber moth (PTM), Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller), is one of the most severe pests affecting potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), whether in open-air crops or during tuber storage. This work examines the potential control of this pest by two species of predatory mites, Macrocheles robustulus (Berlese) and Blattisocius tarsalis (Berlese), on pest eggs under laboratory conditions. In the two first assays, the acceptance rate of the pest eggs was assessed for each predatory mite. Then, in a third assay, the functional response of B. tarsalis was studied. The results showed that Macrocheles robustulus did not prey on the pest eggs (number of eggs surviving = 4.33 ± 0.38), whereas B. tarsalis did (number of eggs surviving = 0.5 ± 0.5). Likewise, B. tarsalis showed a type II functional response when it killed the eggs. The results showed the potential use of Blattisocius tarsalis as a biological control agent of P. operculella in potato under storage conditions.

Potential for the Postharvest Biological Control of Phthorimaea operculella (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) by Blattisocius tarsalis (Mesostigmata, Blattisociidae)

“…The predatory mite B. tarsalis can be an important tool for the biological control of storehouse pests. In previous works, the potential for controlling two pyralid pests, E. kuehniella and C. cautella [21,22,25] has been studied, and more recently in the control of PTM [19].…”

“…Under these conditions, both microbiological agents (granulovirus, Bacillus thuringiensis and nematodes) and macrobiological agents (Chelonus blackburni (Cameron), Copidosoma koehleri (Blanchard), Trichogramma chilonis Ishii and T. evanescens Westwood) have been applied with different levels of success [8,9,[15][16][17]. More recently, research has begun on the potential of using two species of predatory egg mites from the Blattisociidae family, Blattisocius mali (Oudemans) and B. tarsalis (Berlese), to control PTM [18,19].…”

Combining Biocontrol Agents with Chemical Fungicides for Integrated Plant Fungal Disease Control

“…Examples include parasitoid wasps, predatory mites against several pests such as potato tuber moth and pathogenic bacteria and fungi, like Bacillus spp. and Trichoderma spp., which act against different types of plant pathogens [21][22][23][24]. Along with biocontrol organisms, there are BCAs such as chitosan and derivatives such as chitooligosaccharides (CHOS) originating from the fungal cell wall [25].…”

Potential of Entomopathogenic Nematodes versus Alpha-cypermethrin Against Potato Tuber Moth, <em>Phthorimaea operculella</em> Zeller 1873 (Lep.: Gelechiidae) in Storage Conditions

“…The potato tuber moth PTM, Phthorimaea operculella Zeller 1873 (Lep. : Gelechiidae), is an oligophagous invasive pest of Solanaceae family (Sileshi and Teriessa 2001) and one of the most economically sinificant potato pests worldwide which causing losses up to 80% in the field and up to 100% during storage especially in tuber infestation (Rondon 2010(Rondon , 2020Gallego et al 2020). Assessment of the effect of temperature increase under projected changes in global temperature for the year 2050 by process-based climatic response phenology models demonstrated that the damage potential of P. operculella will progressively increase in all regions where the pest exist, with a range expansion into temperate and tropical mountainous regions (Kroschel et al 2013(Kroschel et al , 2016.…”

“…Traditional control of P. operculella has relied upon chemical insecticides (Szendrei 1986;Kroschel et al 2020), however as a leaf miner or tuber miner, P. operculella cannot touch many insecticides directly (Gao & Zhou 2020). Even though there are serious health and environment-related concerns about using chemical insecticide (Kroschel & Koch 1996;Lacey & Kroschel 2009;Gallego et al 2020), they are the main part of PTM management programs.…”