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10-Minute Presentation

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

10-min: P-IE, IPM - Horticulture 1

Inventory and study of an entomopathogenic fungus of Phytonemus pallidus (Acari: Tarsonemidae), Hirsutella sp., in strawberries

Wednesday, November 13, 2024
11:06 AM – 11:18 AM MST
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, 126 B
Oral Presentation
Hirsutella sp. is a genus of entomopathogenic fungus known for affecting many insects and mites. Phytonemus pallidus (cyclamen mite, Tarsonemidae) infected by Hirsutella sp. were first observed in a strawberry field in Quebec, Canada, in 2018. To assess its distribution in the province of Québec and factors affecting its presence, strawberry fields were surveyed in 2022 and 2023 for the presence of the entomopathogenic fungus Hirsutella sp. infecting P. pallidus. Fields under conventional and organic management were selected to determine whether management types had an impact on the number of P. pallidus individuals with mycosis, as well as fields under plastic mulch and matted rows. The impact of meteorological conditions such as temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation was assessed. Of the 25 sites sampled, the presence of P. pallidus with mycosis, infected by the fungus Hirsutella sp., was observed on 17 sampling sites. The number of P. pallidus with mycosis increased following days with high average temperatures, as did the proportion of P. pallidus with mycosis on the total number of P. pallidus. This proportion also increased following days with high relative humidity and higher precipitation. The number of P. pallidus with mycosis, as well as the proportion, did not vary significantly between management type or growing system. Evaluation of the distribution of the entomopathogenic fungus Hirsutella sp. combined with a better understanding of the factors favoring the number of P. pallidus with mycosis would allow to develop a conservation biological control strategy against P. pallidus in strawberry fields.