ROLE OF THE PREDATOR CHEYLETUS ERUDITUS SCH. AS BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENT
NOURAN A. ABOU OUF
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University (for girls), Nasr City, Cairo.
Predatory mite species were found associated with insect and mite pests, among those Cheyletus eruditus Sch. was the most abundant species. This mite was provided with two acarid mite pest, the grain or the flower mite Acarus siro L, the mould or stored product mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae Sch. in addition to carpoglyphide one, the sugar or the dried fruit mite Carpoglyphus lactis L. and incubated at 25 º C and 75% RH. The obtained data showed that the adult stage of this predator was more effective against different stages of the three studied mites than its nymphal stages. It was clear that the adult prey mites more tolerant than the other stages against the predator. The prey T. putrescentiae was proved to be suitable type of food for the predator as compared with Acarus siro L. and Carpoglyphus lactis. Thus, the study conclude that C. eruditus is an oligophagous predator of Acari which proved to be effective and can play a role in biological control of stored-product mite pests and should be used in the control of mite pest species, particularly Tyrophagus putrescentiae.
December 2014