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Student 10-Minute Presentation

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

Student

Student Competition

Grad 10-min Competition: P-IE, Biocontrol - General 1

Understanding how applications of the predatory mite Stratiolaelaps scimitus to control Megaselia halterata on mushroom farms affect the transmission of fungal disease

Monday, November 11, 2024
9:36 AM – 9:48 AM MST
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, 127 A, PCC
Oral Presentation Student Competition
The mushroom phorid fly, Megaselia halterata, reduces mushroom quality and yield by feeding on actively growing mycelium and via transmission of pathogenic mushroom diseases. Demand has grown amongst farmers for sustainable and effective methods to control fly populations. Our results suggest that the predatory mite Stratiolaelaps scimitus preys on M. halterata larvae in the laboratory. Laboratory experiments with S. scimitus, and the feeder mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae (which the predators are shipped with), suggest that neither mite species inhibits mycelial colonization. While designing field experiments, concerns were raised that both mites could mechanically vector the mycoparasite Lecanicillium fungicola. We assessed the ability of each species of mite and M. halterata adults to vector the mycoparasite in laboratory studies. Each species was placed in an arena for 1 or 24 hours with selective media and one colony forming unit (CFU) of L. fungicola in the center. Arenas were incubated (24 ˚C 12:12 L:D) for 1 week and the number of new CFUs that formed was recorded. Data will be presented from the ongoing studies determining the vectoring ability of both species of mite compared to the flies.