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Insight into the feeding behavior of predatory mites on Beauveria bassiana, an arthropod pathogen

Shengyong Wu1, Ye Zhang2, Xuenong Xu1

  • 1State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, P.R. China.

Scientific Reports
|April 5, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Predatory mites, Neoseiulus barkeri, consume Beauveria bassiana fungal spores. Ingestion likely reduces fungal viability, impacting biological pest control strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Agricultural Entomology
  • Mycology
  • Biological Control

Background:

  • Fungal entomopathogens are crucial for managing insect pests.
  • Interactions between these fungi and predators like mites are key to integrated pest management.
  • Understanding these interactions informs effective pest control strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the feeding behavior of the predatory mite Neoseiulus barkeri on Beauveria bassiana.
  • To determine the effect of mite ingestion on the viability of Beauveria bassiana conidia.

Main Methods:

  • Laboratory study using DNA extracts to confirm feeding.
  • Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to examine conidia within the mite gut.

Main Results:

  • Neoseiulus barkeri mites were observed feeding on Beauveria bassiana conidia.
  • Conidia within the mite gut showed signs of dissolution within 24 hours post-ingestion.
  • This suggests a significant loss of fungal viability after consumption.

Conclusions:

  • This study provides the first report of feeding behavior by phytoseiid mites on entomopathogenic fungi.
  • The findings highlight a novel aspect of fungus-predator interactions in agricultural ecosystems.
  • This interaction may influence the efficacy of Beauveria bassiana in biological pest control when predatory mites are present.

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