Host specificity tests ofChrysomelobia labidomerae,a mite parasitic on the Colorado potato beetle

Abstract

Abstract The parasitic mite, Chrysomelobia labidomerae Eickwort, appears to be limited to coleopterous hosts in the tribe Zygogrammini of the subfamily Chrysomelinae. The mite was originally described as a parasite of adult Labidomera clivicollis (Kirby) in New York. We found it in Mexico parasitizing 4 additional species in the tribe Zygogrammini: Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), Leptinotarsa undecemlineata Stahl., Leptinotarsa signaticollis Stahl., and Leptinotarsa cacica Stahl. Experimentally, we found many species to be unsuitable hosts for a Mexican race of the mite including the honey bee, Apis mellifera (L.); coccinellids: Hippodamia convergens Guerin-Meneville, Coleomegilla maculata (DeGeer), Coccinella septempunctata L., and the Mexican bean beetle, Epilachna varivestis Mulsant; carabids: Harpalus pennsylvanicus DeGeer, and Clivinia impressifrons LeConte; the cerambycid, Tetraopes tetrophthalmus (Forster); and the chrysomelid, Lema trilineata L. Larvae of L. decemlineata were also found to be uns...