Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A model of the biological control of Acarus siro by Cheyletus eruditus (Acari: Acaridae, Cheyletidae) on grain

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Pest Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of the study was to develop a stage-structured within-patch model describing predator-prey interactions of Cheyletus eruditus (Schrank) and Acarus siro L. on stored grain. Parameterisation of the model was done using data from the literature. Due to considerable variance in these data, statistical methods were used to extrapolate the parameters. The results of the simulations were compared with the experimental control of A. siro by C. eruditus on wheat. The results indicated that all life-history studies of A. siro yielded overestimated parameters leading to an unnaturally rapid population growth of A. siro on grain. The main reason seems to be the use of high quality food (wheat germs), which considerably increased fecundity. A new model with reduced fecundity was found to correspond well with the observed dynamics in a granary. The model of C. eruditus, including parameters from different sources, produced dynamics quite similar to the observed one. A simulation of biological control under laboratory conditions, on 45 g of wheat, showed that C. eruditus is able to control A. siro within the observed period. In contrast, simulation of the control in a granary showed a marked difference in comparison with the observed dynamics. The discrepancy is attributed to the effects of spatial factors, such as immigration. The predator-prey model developed here appears to be valid for the prediction of the local (within-patch) population dynamics of A. siro and C. eruditus on wheat grain at 20 °C and 80% RH.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1A, B
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Densities in this paper include only mobile stages of mites in order to be consistent with data from the literature.

References

  • Barker, PS (1991) Bionomics of Cheyletus eruditus (Schrank) (Acarina: Cheyletidae) a predator of Lepidoglyphus destructor at three constant temperatures. Can J Zool 69:2321–2325

    Google Scholar 

  • Berreen JM (1974) The development and validation of a simple model for population growth in the grain mite, Acarus siro L. J Stored Prod Res 10:147–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berreen JM (1976) An analysis of feeding in Cheyletus eruditus, a predator of storage mite. Ann Appl Biol 82:190–192

    Google Scholar 

  • Berreen JM (1984) The functional response of Cheyletus eruditus (Schrank) to changes in the density of its prey Acarus siro L. In: Griffiths DA, Bowman CE (eds) Acarology VI, vol 2. Ellis Horwood, Chichester, pp 980–986

  • Berreen JM, Metwally ASM (1984) Reproductive rates in Cheyletus eruditus (Schrank), In: Griffiths DA, Bowman CE (eds) Acarology VI, vol 1, Ellis Horwood, Chichester, pp 512–518

  • Boczek J (1957) Flour mite (T. farinae), morphology, biology and ecology, harmfulness and control (in Polish). Rocz Nauk Rolniczych 75A:560–644

    Google Scholar 

  • Boczek J (1959) Biology of the predatory mite (Cheyletus eruditus) (in Polish). Prace Nauk Inst Ochr Roslin 1:175–230

    Google Scholar 

  • Boczek JH, Davis R (1985) Effects of alternating temperatures on Acarus siro L. (Acari: Acaridae). Exp Appl Acarol 1:213–217

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown GA, Davis R (1969) Effects of introduced irradiated male grain mites on population development. J Econ Entomol 62:767–771

    Google Scholar 

  • Buffoni G, Di Cola G, Baumgartner J, Maurer V (1997) The local dynamics of acarine predator-prey (Cheyletus eruditus - Dermanyssus gallinae) populations: identification of a lumped parameter model. Mitt Schweiz Entomol Ges 70:345–359

    Google Scholar 

  • Cunnington AM (1976) The effect of physical conditions on the development and increase of some important storage mites. Ann Appl Biol 82:175–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Cunnington AM (1985) Factors affecting oviposition and fecundity in the grain mite Acarus siro L. (Acarina: Acaridae), especially temperature and relative humidity. Exp Appl Acarol 1:327–344

    Google Scholar 

  • Cusack PD, Evans GO, Brennan PA (1975) A survey of the mites of stored grain products in the Republic of Ireland. Sci Proc R Dublin Soc Ser B3(20):273–329

    Google Scholar 

  • Dabrowski ZT (1968) The sensitivity of the developmental stages of flour mite (Acarus siro L.) to gamma radiation. Rocz Nauk Rolnicz 93(Ser A4):613–622 (In Polish)

    Google Scholar 

  • Deighton, JM, Pascoe R (1976) The use of pirimiphos-methyl to control mites in stored grain. Ann Appl Biol 82:197–201

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Emekci M, Toros S (1989) An investigation on the development of Acarus siro L. (Acarina, Acaridae) under different temperatures, and relative humidities (in Turkish). Türk Entomol Derg 13(4):217–228

  • Emekci M, Toros S (1994) Studies on the biology of Cheyletus eruditus (Schrank) (Acari: Cheyletidae) under laboratory conditions (in Turkish). In: Turkiye III. Biyolojik Mucadele Kongresi Bildirileeri, 25–28 October 1994, Bitki Koruma Bolumu, Ege Universitesi Basimevi, Bornova, Turkey, pp 529–537

  • Ewing HE (1912) The life-history and habits of Cheyletus seminivorus Packard. J Econ Entomol 5:416–420

    Google Scholar 

  • Fejt R, Žďárková E (2001) Bionomics of Acarus siro (Acarina: Acaridae) on oilseeds. Plant Prot Sci 37(3):110–113

    Google Scholar 

  • Hannon B, Ruth M (1997) Modelling dynamic biological systems. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

  • Hughes AM (1976) The mites of stored food and houses. Tech Bull Minist Agric Lond 9:1–458

    Google Scholar 

  • Ignatowicz S (1986) Sex ratio in the acarid mites (Acarida: Acaroidea). Rocz Nauk Rolniczych 16(1):101–110

    Google Scholar 

  • Ignatowicz S (1987) Sex ratio in the flour mite, Acarus siro L. (Acarina, Acaridae). Pol Pismo Entomol 57:775–781

    Google Scholar 

  • Janssen A, Sabelis MW (1992) Phytoseiid life-histories, local predator-prey dynamics, and strategies for control of tetranychid mites. Exp Appl Acarol 14:233–250

    Google Scholar 

  • Kawamoto H, Sinha RN, Muir WE, Woods SM (1991) Simulation model of Acarus siro (Acari: Acaridae) in stored wheat. Environ Entomol 20:1381–1386

    Google Scholar 

  • Nachman G (1991) An acarine predator-prey metapopulation system inhabiting greenhouse cucumbers. Biol J Linn Soc 42:285–303

    Google Scholar 

  • Norris JD (1958) Observations on the control of mite infestations in stored wheat by Cheyletus spp. (Acarina, Cheyletidae). Ann Appl Biol 46(3):411–422

    Google Scholar 

  • Pulpán J, Verner PH (1959) The mites of the stored grain and their control (Acari) (in Czech). Boh Cent A1 169–292

  • Pulpán J, Verner PH (1965) Control of tyroglyphoid mites in stored grain by the predatory mite Cheyletus eruditus (Schrank). Can J Zool 43:417–432

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Selhorst T, Sondgerath D, Weigand S (1991) A model describing the predator-prey interaction between Scolothrips longicornis and Tetranychus cinnabarinus based upon the Leslie theory. Ecol Model 59:123–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sinha RN (1964) Mites of stored grain in western Canada. Proc Entomol Soc Man 20:19–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Solomon ME (1946) Tyroglyphid mites in stored products. Nature and amount of damage to wheat. Ann Appl Biol 33:280–289

    Google Scholar 

  • Solomon ME (1962) Ecology of the flour mite, Acarus siro (=Tyroglyphus farinae DeG.). Ann Appl Biol 50:178–184

    Google Scholar 

  • Solomon ME (1967) Experiments on predatory-prey interactions of storage mites. Acarologia 11:484–503

    Google Scholar 

  • Solomon ME (1969) Establishment, growth and decline of populations of the grain mite Acarus siro L. on a handful of wheat. In: Proceedings of the 2nd International Congress of Acarology, July 1967, Sutton Bonington, Akadémiai Kiado, Budapest, pp 255–260

  • Wilkin DR (1973) Resistance to lindane in Acarus siro from an English cheese store. J Stored Prod Res 9:101–104

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilkin DR (1975) The effects of mechanical handling and the admixture of acaricides on mites in farm-stored barley. J Stored Prod Res 11: 87–95

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Žďárková E (1967) Stored food mites in Czechoslovakia. J Stored Prod Res 3:155–175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Žďárková E (1994) The effectiveness of organophosphate acaricides on stored product mites interacting in biological control. Exp Appl Acarol 18:747–751

    Google Scholar 

  • Žďárková E (1998a) Mite fauna of stored grain in the Czech Republic. Plant Prot Sci 34(2):49–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Žďárková E (1998b) Biological control of storage mites by Cheyletus eruditus. Integr Pest Manage Rev 3:111–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Žďárková E (1998c) The biological protection of the stored grain and seed against mites (in Czech). Metodiky MZe ČR 4:15–29

  • Žďárková E, Horák E (1985) The effect of blending, scrapping and pelleting on the mortality of mites at manufacturing the feeding mixture. Plant Prot Sci 21(4):275–280

    Google Scholar 

  • Žďárková E, Horák E (1990) Preventive biological control of stored food mites in empty stores using Cheyletus eruditus (Schrank). Crop Prot 9:378–382

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Žďárková E, Horák P (2000) Number of prey necessary for completing development of Cheyletus eruditus (Acarina: Cheyletidae). In: 21st International Congress of Entomology, Abstract. Book I, August 2000, Iquassu Falls, Embrapa Soja, Londrina, p 19

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank A. Honěk, V. Jarošík, V. Stejskal and two anonymous referees for valuable comments. This work was supported by grant no. OC 842.10 (EŽ) and by grant no. 01–01–03 from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Czech Republic (SP).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute of Crop Production, Drnovská 507, 161 06 , Prague 6–Ruzyně, The Czech Republic

    Stano Pekár & Eva Žďárková

Authors
  1. Stano Pekár
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Eva Žďárková
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stano Pekár.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pekár, S., Žďárková, E. A model of the biological control of Acarus siro by Cheyletus eruditus (Acari: Acaridae, Cheyletidae) on grain. J Pest Sci 77, 1–10 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-003-0019-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-003-0019-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation