Attraction of the Grain Mite, Acarus siro (Acarina: Acaridae), to Solvent Extracts of Fungi Associated with Stored-Food Commodities1

Abstract

Eight species of 2-week-old fungi associated with cheese and grain were extracted with absolute ethyl alcohol, benzene, chloroform, and Skelly B hexane. The extracts were tested for their capacity to attract Acarus siro L. and were evaluated for their attractive potential, solvent effectiveness, and concentration effects. Solvent extractions of the fungi elicited varying degrees of mite response, but the results indicated that chemical extraction of attractive volatiles was possible for all fungi tested. Data for Aspergillus repens indicated that this fungus was the most effective of the 8 fungi tested where a maximum mite response of 65% to the benzene extract at 4× was observed. Eleven concentrations of benzene extracts of A. repens, A. ruber , and Penicillium camemberti were tested to determine cut-off points for maximal and minimal mite response. Data for A. repens and A. ruber resembled those of linear regression.