The effect of different temperatures and food densities on development of Blattisocius tarsalis (Berlese) (Acari: Ascidae) reared on Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Abstract

Blattisocius tarsalis (Berlese) (Acari: Ascidae) is an effective predatory mite species on eggs of Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Mediterranean flour moth is an important pest of flour storages and mills in Turkey. The aim of this paper is to investigate the possibilities for the use of B. tarsalis as a biological control agent to control moth. The effect of different temperatures (15±1 oC and 25±1 oC) on development time of B. tarsalis at different food density levels (5, 10, 15 and 20 eggs densities) has been investigated. For 15 oC; the development times of immature stages were 5,53 (1-6); 4,86 (3-5); 4,53 (0-5) and 4,86 (1-6) days while adults life span were determined 52,00 (3-67); 42,77 (5-67); 29,85 (1-66) and 27,36 (7-39) days for 5, 10, 15 and 20 moth egg densities. For 25 oC the development times of immature stages were 5,00 (5-5) days at 10 prey eggs and 6,00 (6-6) days at the rest of prey densities, beside this life span of adults were determined 32,00 (20-39); 30,67 (15-40); 42,20 (10-64) and 38,67 (4-69) days at each food densities consequently.