Project title: Taxonomic survey of soil dwelling predatory mites as potential
candidates for the biological control of soil borne parasitic arthropod pests and
nematodes
Research team: Eric Palevsky1, Shira Gal, Uri Gerson2 and Eddie Ueckermann3
1
Newe-Ya'ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Institute
2
Faculty of Agriculture, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
3
ARC-PPRI, Plant Protection Research Institute, Pretoria, South Africa
Introduction
Predatory mites, especially of the family Phytoseiidae are widely used for the control
of above-ground pests (Gerson et al. 2003). In contrast, there is very limited
information on the ecology of acarine predators found in soils and their respective
potential for the biological control of soil pests. While a range of soil-inhabiting
predatory mites belonging to the sub orders Prostigmata and Mesostigmata are known
from abroad (Epsky et al. 1988; Walter 1987; Walter et al. 1986; Walter et al. 1987;
Walter and Ikonen 1989; Walter and Kaplan 1991; Walter et al. 1993), only few
studies were conducted in Israel, mostly by Prof. Costa, primary focused on the
acarine fauna of the litter and rodent parasites (Costa 1966a; Costa 1966b). Now as
chemical soil sterilization methods (including methyl-bromide) are being phased out,
new soil biocontrol agents are being sought (Gerson 2015). Towards this aim we
conducted a survey of soil- dwelling predatory mites in order to lay the foundations
for future biology and ecology studies of potential biocontrol agents for soilborne
pests.
Results
From November 2013 through May 2014 soil samples were collected from open
spaces, pastures, forests, orchards and organic crops from the Golan to the Northern
Negev from -200 to 600 m above sea level. Potential nematode predators belonging to
the families Anystidae, Bdellidae, Cheyletidae, Cunaxidae, Raphignathidae, and
Stigmaeidae, in the suborder Prostigmata and to the families Ascidae, Laelapidae,
Macrochelidae, Pachylaelapidae, Parasitidae and Rhodacaridae, in the suborder
Mesostigmata were identified first to the family level (in total approximately 450 slide
preparations). To date at the genus and species level the mites Arctoseius cetratus,
Asca, Protogamasellus,(Ascidae); Hexabdella, Neomolgus, Spinibdella (Bdellidae);
Lupaeus, Cunaxa capreolus (Cunaxidae); Cosmolaelaps, Geolaelaps negevi; G.
aculeifer (Laelapidae); Holoparasitus (Parasitidae); Raphignathus (Raphignathidae);
Stigmaeus (Stigmaeidae) were identified. Additional genera from the above families
and identification to the species level is still ongoing. For this survey and course titled
‘Taxonomy and biology of soil dwelling acarine predators as potential agents for the
biocontrol of agricultural pests’ also conducted within the ITI in 2014, a provisional
key was prepared for the above families and is now available on the ITI site (please
note that this key is still under revision). This research will be continued in 2015 and
2016 within the framework of the project titled ‘Identification and evaluation of soil
borne predatory mites for nematode control in organic cropping systems’ to be funded
by the Chief Scientist of the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture project no. 20-17-0005.
Costa M (1966a) Notes on macrochelids associated with manure and coprid beetles in Israel.
I. Macrocheles robustulus (Berlese, 1904) development and biology. Acarologia 8:532548
Costa M (1966b) The present stage of knowledge of mesostigamtic mites in Israel (Acari:
Mesostigmata). Israel Journal of Zoology 15:69-82
Epsky ND, Walter DE, Capinera JL (1988) Potential role of nematophagous microarthropods
as biotic mortality factors of entomogenous nematodes (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae,
Heterorhabditidae). J Econ Entomol 81:821-825
Gerson U (2015) Mites as biocontrol agents of phytonematodes. In: Askary TH, Martinelli
PRP (eds) Biocontrol Agents of Nematodes, vol In press. CABI,
Gerson U, Smiley RL, Ochoa R (2003) Mites (acari) for pest control. Blackwell Science,
Oxford, UK
Walter DE (1987) Life history, trophic behavior, and description of Gamasellodes vermivorax
n.sp (Mesostigmata: Ascidae), a predator of nematodes and arthropods in semiarid
grassland soils. Canadian Journal of Zoology 65:1689-1695
Walter DE, Hudgens RA, Freckman DW (1986) Consumption of nematodes by fungivorous
mites, Tyrophagus spp. (Acarina: Astigmata: Acaridae). Oecologia 70:357-361
Walter DE, Hunt HW, Elliott ET (1987) The influence of prey type on the development and
reproduction of some predatory soil mites. Pedobiologia 30:479-424
Walter DE, Ikonen EK (1989) Species, guilds, and functional groups: Taxonomy and
behavior in nematophagous arthropods. Journal of Nematology 21:315-327
Walter DE, Kaplan DT (1991) Observations on Coleoscirus simplex (Acarina: Prostigmata), a
predatory mite that colonizes greenhouse cultures of rootknot nematode (Meloidogyne
spp.) and a review of feeding behavior in the Cunaxidae. Exp Appl Acarol 12:47-59
Walter DE, Kaplan DT, Davis EL (1993) Colonization of greenhouse nematode cultures by
nematophagous mites and fungi. Journal of Nematology 25:789-794