<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p><italic>Protogamasellus mica</italic> was extracted from a sugarcane field in Australia and cultured on bacterial-feeding nematodes. Studies with various nematodes in laboratory arenas showed that one mite and its progeny reduced nematode numbers by between 26 and 50 nematodes/day. A bacterivore (<italic>Mesorhabditis</italic> sp.), a fungivore (<italic>Aphelenchus avenae</italic>), and two plant parasites (root-knot nematode, <italic>Meloidogyne javanica</italic> and root-lesion nematode, <italic>Pratylenchus zeae</italic>) were all reduced at much the same rate despite the fact that the nematodes are quite different in size and motility and belong to different trophic groups. When sugarcane was grown in the greenhouse for 8 wk, stunt nematode (<italic>Tylenchorhynchus annulatus</italic>), a plant parasite that feeds ectoparasitically on roots, was almost eliminated from pots inoculated with the mite, and numbers of microbivores and root-lesion nematode were markedly reduced. Huge reductions in nematode populations were also observed when mites were added to microcosms containing small quantities of defaunated soil. These results show that <italic>P. mica</italic> multiplies rapidly when nematodes are available as a food source and has the capacity to play a role in regulating populations of both plant-parasitic and free-living nematodes. Future research should focus on understanding the crop and soil management practices required to enable this mite and other predatory species to thrive.</p>
</abstract>

Protogamasellus mica was extracted from a sugarcane field in Australia and cultured on bacterial-feeding nematodes. Studies with various nematodes in laboratory arenas showed that one mite and its progeny reduced nematode numbers by between 26 and 50 nematodes/day. A bacterivore (Mesorhabditis sp.), a fungivore (Aphelenchus avenae), and two plant parasites (root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne javanica and root-lesion nematode, Pratylenchus zeae) were all reduced at much the same rate despite the fact that the nematodes are quite different in size and motility and belong to different trophic groups. When sugarcane was grown in the greenhouse for 8 wk, stunt nematode (Tylenchorhynchus annulatus), a plant parasite that feeds ectoparasitically on roots, was almost eliminated from pots inoculated with the mite, and numbers of microbivores and root-lesion nematode were markedly reduced. Huge reductions in nematode populations were also observed when mites were added to microcosms containing small quantities of defaunated soil. These results show that P. mica multiplies rapidly when nematodes are available as a food source and has the capacity to play a role in regulating populations of both plant-parasitic and free-living nematodes. Future research should focus on understanding the crop and soil management practices required to enable this mite and other predatory species to thrive.

The Mesostigmatid Mite <italic>Protogamasellus mica</italic>, an Effective Predator of Free-Living and Plant-Parasitic Nematodes

Journal of Nematology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The Mesostigmatid Mite , an Effective Predator of Free-Living and Plant-Parasitic Nematodes

Protogamasellus mica was extracted from a sugarcane field in Australia and cultured on bacterial-feeding nematodes. Studies with various nematodes in...

The Mesostigmatid Mite Protogamasellus mica, an Effective Predator of Free-Living and Plant-Parasitic Nematodes

Published Online: Dec 05, 2017

Page range: 168 - 176

Received: May 20, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21307/jofnem-2017-080

Keywords
biological control, free-living nematodes, mite, nematophagous, predator, regulatory, root-lesion nematode, stunt nematode, suppression, .

© 2017 Graham R. Stirling et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The Mesostigmatid Mite Protogamasellus mica, an Effective Predator of Free-Living and Plant-Parasitic Nematodes

Published Online: Dec 05, 2017

Page range: 168 - 176

Received: May 20, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21307/jofnem-2017-080

Keywordsbiological control, free-living nematodes, mite, nematophagous, predator, regulatory, root-lesion nematode, stunt nematode, suppression, .

© 2017 Graham R. Stirling et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
biological control, free-living nematodes, mite, nematophagous, predator, regulatory, root-lesion nematode, stunt nematode, suppression, .