Journal of Pest Science (2019) 92, 715-722

Shou-xian Wang, Ning Di, Xu Chen, Fan Zhang, Antonio Biondi, Nicolas Desneux and Su Wang (2019)
Life history and functional response to prey density of the flower bug Orius sauteri attacking the fungivorous sciarid fly Lycoriella pleuroti
Journal of Pest Science 92 (2), 715-722
Abstract: Seldom have natural enemies been quantified in their ability to control fungivorous arthropods, despite the severe losses they can cause in production of edible fungus. Here, we evaluated the omnivorous predator Orius sauteri (Poppius) when preying on eggs and larvae of the fungivorous sciarid fly Lycoriella pleuroti (Yang et Zhang) and compared against a microencapsulated artificial diet. We also estimated the predation ability of O. sauteri feeding on different densities of L. pleuroti larvae and eggs. The results indicated that O. sauteri successfully oviposit on a mushroom substrate. Moreover, both L. pleuroti eggs and larvae were capable of supporting O. sauteri populations. A type II functional response was observed for both males and females of the predator. Further, moderate values for parameter a ' (instantaneous attack rate) and greatly reduced T_h (handling time) revealed a high potential for O. sauteri in suppressing outbreaks of L. pleuroti. This is the first report of a generalist predator feeding and developing within an edible mushroom-pest system. O. sauteri is a prime candidate for testing as a biological control agent, either in inoculative or in inundative release, for targeted suppression of the fungivorous sciarid L. pleuroti.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Antonio Biondi, Nicolas Desneux

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Lycoriella pleuroti	Mushrooms
Orius sauteri (predator)	Lycoriella pleuroti	Mushrooms