Mrs. C. Schütte: A novel bacterial disease of the biological control agent Phytoseiulus persimilis

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22 Feb 2006 13:30
Unit: Wageningen University
Location: Aula (building 362), Gen. Foulkesweg 1, Wageningen
Organisation: Wageningen University
Promotor: dr. M. Dicke (Entomology)
Co Promotor: Prof.dr. J.C. van Lenteren

 The predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis plays a major role in research on predator-prey interactions worldwide and is a cornerstone in biological control of spider mites on several greenhouse and field crops. Since mid-1992 we recorded several striking symptoms for mated female predators of our laboratory population: they shrink after mating, cease egg-laying and die early. Moreover, they tend to leave a prey patch with ample food, are not attracted to prey-related odours and cease predation on spider mites. Predators showing such attributes will not be effective in biological control. We could show that droppings released by symptomatic predators induce the symptoms in non-symptomatic predators and that bacteria play a role in this process. Several bacterial species were isolated from symptomatic female predators and their droppings. One of these induced the symptoms plus striking bacterial accumulations in the predator’s gut. This isolate represents a new bacterial species in a new bacterial genus, described as Acaricomes phytoseiuli. This is the first record of a bacterial pathogen in predatory mites. The results presented in this thesis are of great importance to applied and fundamental science.
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