Abstract
Observations were recorded on the response of Acarus siro L. to fungi associated with such stored foods as cheese and grain. An arena-testing technique for the evaluation of mite attraction and feeding response is described. Disc segments of agar cultures of 17 species of fungi were exposed in the arena test chamber. Mites responded to all species of fungi with a maximum response occurring within 3 hours of exposure for most species tested. The degree of response indicated little variation between cultures ranging in age from 3 days to 4 weeks. Choice tests between 2 species of fungi indicated that A. siro often had definite preferences between similarly attractive fungi. The greatest attraction and feeding response was demonstrated for Penicillium camemberti Thorn, Aspergillus flavus Link, and A. repens (Corda) Debary, and the least response observed for Trichoderma lignorum (Tode) Harz and Fusarium monilifonnc Sheldon.
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