title: Evidence of Amblyseius largoensis and Euseius alatus as biological control agent of Aceria guerreronis.
abstract: Amblyseius largoensis (Muma) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) and Euseius alatus De Leon (Acari: Phytoseiidae) are predatory mites that are mostly found on leaves and on the exposed fruit surface of coconut plants. Their morphology hampers the access to the microhabitat occupied by Aceria guerreronis Keifer (Acari: Eriophyidae), the most important pest of coconut fruits throughout the world. However, it was suggested that they can prey on A. guerreronis under natural conditions when this pest leaves its refuge to disperse. Since the trophic interactions between A. largoensis or E. alatus and A. guerreronis are unknown, we compare the frequencies of occurrence of A. largoensis and E. alatus under the bracts of coconut fruits and on coconut leaflets. In addition, because phytoseiids feed by liquid ingestion, we used molecular analysis to confirm the potential role of A. largoensis or E. alatus as predators of A. guerreronis and to assess how fast the A. guerreronis DNA fragment is degradated in the A. largoensis digestive tract. Our study demonstrated that E. alatus was only present on coconut leaflets whereas A. largoensis was found mostly on leaflets and, to a much lesser extent, under the bracts of coconuts. Species-specific ITS primers designed for A. guerreronis were shown to have a high degree of specificity for A. guerreronis DNA and did not produce any PCR product from DNA templates of the other insects and mites associated with the coconut agroecosystem. Based on molecular analysis, we confirmed that the predatory mites, A. largoensis and E. alatus, had preyed on the coconut mite in the field. Overall the predatory mites collected in the field exhibited low levels of predation (26.7% of A. largoensis and 8.9% of E. alatus tested positive for A. guerreronis DNA). The fragment of A. guerreronis DNA remained intact for a very short time (no more than 6 h after feeding) in the digestive tract of A. largoensis.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fitotecnia - Entomologia, Universidade Federal do Ceará - Campus do Pici, Avenida Mister Hull, n 2977, Bloco 805, Sala 215, Fortaleza, CE, CEP 60356-000, Brazil. wagnermelo@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: J W S
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1056-8129
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.affiliation: Depto. Agronomia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, 52171-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Staudacher
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Depto. Agronomia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, 52171-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: M G C
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Gondim
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Sabelis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D061046:Biological Control Agents; D001938:Brazil; D003059:Cocos / Q000254:growth & development; D008925:Mites / Q000502:physiology*; D009754:Nuts / Q000254:growth & development; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011235:Predatory Behavior
chemical_list: D061046:Biological Control Agents
keywords: Acari; Coconut mite; Cocos nucifera; Eriophyoid mites; Phytoseiidae; Predator–prey interactions