Experimental and Applied Acarology最新文献

Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) recki feeds on pest mites on tomato plants and its introduction into crops via companion plants, Mentha suaveolens and Phlomis fruticosa, has been recently investigated. This study aims at assessing the predator arrestment behavior, through lab choice tests to determine the effects of (i) prey (Aculops lycopersici and Tetranychus urticae) vs Typha angustifolia pollen deposited on companion plant or Solanum nigrum, (ii) T. urticae vs A. lycopersici on S. nigrum and (ii) M. suaveolens vs P. fruticosa using pollen as food source. The predator position, the number of eggs laid and the number of T. urticae eggs consumed were assessed during 4 days. The predator was more observed on leaf discs with A. lycopersici vs pollen when the pollen was deposited on S. nigrum and M. suaveolens, but was more found on leaf discs with pollen on P. fruticosa. It was equally found on leaf discs with T. urticae vs pollen for all the plants tested. No difference in predator arrestment behavior was noted between A. lycopersici and T. urticae, but a higher proportion was observed on leaf discs with A. lycopersici at the beginning of the experiment than at the end. Finally, the predator was more observed on leaf discs of P. fruticosa than of M. suaveolens. The highest fecundity was observed in systems with pollen and A. lycopersci + pollen, and the lowest with T. urticae + pollen; T. urticae consumption was not different with pollen or A. lycopersici. The predator less arrested on pollen vs A. lycopersici that provides a high fecundity; however, surprisingly it was more attracted to pollen vs a prey T. urticae, questioning the cues perceived by T. (A.) recki. The strong preference for P. fruticosa without prey vs S. nigrum with prey or M. suaveolens with pollen, suggests for the second time for Phytoseiidae, direct effects of plant (may be via odors) and questions the ecological advantages of such a behavior. For practical issues, M. suaveolens would be a better bank plant than P. fruticosa; an arrestment on patches of A. lycopersici within tomato plant is expected even if pollen is present and in case of T. urticae infestation a low dispersal to this prey will probably occur, questioning the interest to use T. (A.) recki in combination with other Phytoseiidae species, specialized in T. urticae predation, as Phytoseiulus persimilis.

Ixodid ticks are important disease vectors that significantly impact animal health and cause considerable economic losses, particularly in tropical and subtropical countries. The aim of the present study was to determine the identity, seasonal distribution, and preferred attachment sites of adult ixodid tick species of cattle in four municipalities (Aïn El Hadid, Sidi Bakhti, Mechraa Safa, and Sidi Hosni) of the Province of Tiaret (north-west Algeria) between May 2022 and May 2023. A total of 317 cattle were randomly selected and examined for tick infestation; 108 (34.07%; 95% CI 28-39) were found to be infested by one or more species of ticks. The mean intensity of tick infestation was 16.22 ± 18.45 ticks per individual, while the mean abundance was 5.53 ± 13.21 ticks per examined cattle. Overall, 1,752 adult ixodid ticks were collected and identified, including 1,353 males and 399 females. Three genus and nine tick species were identified, including, H. excavatum (43.78%), H. marginatum (20.15%), H. lusitanicum (18.32%), H. scupense (8.73%), R. bursa (7.53%), H. impeltatum (0.74%), R. (Boophilus) annulatus (0.46%), R. sanguineus sensu lato (0.23%), and D. marginatus (0.06%). The highest discrepancy indices (D) were recorded for H. impeltatum (0.98), while the lowest was observed for H. excavatum (0.88). The overall discrepancy (D) values range from 0.88 to 0.98, indicating significant seasonal variability in the aggregation of ixodid ticks. The highest infestation rate recorded was in Ain El Hadid at 100%, followed by Sidi Bakhti at 79.76%, Mechraa Safa at 10.53%, and Sidi Hosni at 9.79%. H. excavatum, H. marginatum, H. lusitanicum, H. scupense, H. impeltatum, R. bursa, and R. (Boophilus) annulatus displayed significant variation across municipalities (p < 0.001). Seasonally, the highest abundance of adult ixodid tick infestations occurred in summer (38.01%), while the lowest was observed in autumn (17.29%). Significant seasonal variations were observed in the abundance of H. excavatum, H. marginatum, H. lusitanicum, and R. bursa (p < 0.001). Tick distribution was highest in zone 5 (95.43%), which includes the sternum, abdomen, udder, scrotum, and inner sides of the hind legs, while the lowest occurrence was in zone 1 (0.06%), which includes the head and ears. H. excavatum and H. lusitanicum showed a significant preference for Zone 5 (p < 0.001). The findings from the current study serve as a foundation for creating effective strategies to control tick populations on cattle in the Tiaret province.

The citrus red mite (CRM), Panonychus citri (McGregor) (Acari: Tetranychidae), a worldwide pest chiefly infesting Citrus plants, has spread from Southern China to Northern China. Little information is known about the population performance of CRM on the plants except for citrus trees and pear trees. In order to evaluate the extent of damage might caused by CRM to the fruit trees cultivated in Northern China, the performance of CRM on four Rosaceae species, including three main fruit tree species (pear-Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai cv. Shannongsu, apple-Malus pumila Mill. cv. Fuji, peach-Prunus persica (L.) Batsch cv. Zhongyou 4) cultivated in Shandong Province, Northern China, and one rootstock for grafting apples (crabapple-Malus micromalus Makino) was determined using the age-stage, two-sex life table at laboratory conditions (25 ± 1 °C, 75 ± 5% RH and L16: D8 h photoperiod). The results showed that CRM could complete the whole life cycle on all the four plant species. The development time of larva, protonymph and deutonymph and the survival of immature stage of CRM did not vary among the four plant species. Differences on the egg incubation period explained the total duration of the immature stage among the four plants. The total duration of the immature stage was shorter on pear and peach than on crabapple and apple, but no difference was observed between pear and peach. The mites reared on pear and peach exhibited a higher fecundity, net reproductive rate (R₀), intrinsic growth rate (r) and finite rate of increase (λ) and longer longevity of the adult females than on crabapple and apple, but no significant differences between pear and peach, crabapple and apple. The mean generation time (T) of CRM reared on crabapple was the longest, which did not differ significantly on pear, peach and apple. In summary, the cultivars of pear, peach, apple and crabapple used in this study, especially that of peach and pear were suitable for the development and reproduction of CRM. CRM might be a serious risk for the main Rosaceae fruit species in Northern China.

Tetranychus urticae Koch, commonly known as two spotted spider mites, is a major agricultural pest that causes significant economic loss. Predatory mites, such as Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot and Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) are important biological control agents for this pest. However, the efficacy of these predators can be compromised by pesticide application. This study investigated the impact of two acaricides, chlorfenapyr and acequinocyl, on the functional and numerical responses of P. persimilis and N. californicus feeding on T. urticae. Bioassay tests were conducted using a leaf disk dipping method at various pesticides concentrations. Chlorfenapyr exhibited approximately five times higher toxicity than acequinocyl for both predatory mite species and N. californicus exhibited higher tolerance to both acaricides compared to P. persimilis. Functional response experiments assessed the predation rates of 10-day-old predatory mites on different densities of T. urticae nymphs. Analysis of functional response data indicated a Type II response across all treatments. The sublethal concentrations of both acaricides negatively affected the predatory efficiency of both species by reducing attack rate and daily prey consumption and increasing handling times. The numerical response data showed a reduction in egg production correlating with increased pesticide concentrations. Additionally, the efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI) decreased with increasing pesticide concentrations. These findings highlight the detrimental effects of pesticides on beneficial arthropods and emphasize the need for integrated pest management strategies that minimize the reliance on chemical control.

Two-spotted spider mite (TSSM), Tetranychus urticae Koch is a devastating polyphagous mite causing considerable economic loss. Acaricides are showered in crops to manage this pest. The pest is known for developing resistance to several classical acaricides. The study was aimed at the exploration of botanical acaricide for the management of TSSM, T. urticae. Adulticidal action of ethyl acetate, ethanol and water extracts of leaves of Sesbania grandiflora (Fabaceae) were tested on T. urticae. The results showed that ethyl acetate extract showed the maximum mite mortality of 94.44 per cent, followed by ethanol extract at 87.78 per cent at 5 per cent concentration. LC₅₀ of ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts were 1.00 and 4.19 per cent, respectively. The aqueous extract gave 94.44 per cent mortality at a very high concentration of 15% with LC₅₀ of 8.57%. Molecules from the GC-MS analysis of S. grandiflora ethyl acetate leaf extract were subjected to molecular docking using acetylcholine esterase as the target molecule. The major phytomolecules identified in the ethyl acetate leaf extract of S. grandiflora were stigmasterol (15.45%), phytol (13.60%), beta-amyrone (8.72%), and squalene (7.51%). Squalene, a biomolecule with the lowest binding energy was selected from the docking result. The toxicity of squalene was evident from the fact that it caused 81.11, 85.55 and 87.78 per cent mortality at 1800, 2000 and 2200 ppm, respectively at 48 h after treatment. After, 72 h, 100 per cent mortality was recorded at 1800 ppm. This study reveals that squalene can be formulated and used as the best alternative to tackle T. urticae.

Hyalomma ticks are important vectors of pathogens affecting human and animal health. This study aimed to assess the outputs of three molecular markers (16S, 12S rRNA, and COI) for accurate tick species molecular identification, genetic diversity assessment, and phylogenetic positioning of Hyalomma tick specimens from Tunisia. A total of 20 tickspecimens were collected from different hosts including cattle, camels, and turtles in nine Tunisian governorates. Morphological diagnosis confirmed five Hyalomma species: H. scupense, H. marginatum, H. excavatum, H. aegyptium, and H. dromedarii. Molecular analysis confirmed species' identification and revealed varying levels of genetic diversity within each species. Within the H. scupense and H. aegyptium species, low genetic diversity was observed, with no variable sites detected in the 16 S and 12 S rRNA markers, except for a single site in H. aegyptium's COI marker. H. marginatum isolates showed moderate diversity, with no variable sites in the 16S and 12S rRNA markers, and four variable sites in the COI marker. In contrast, H. excavatum and H. dromedarii isolates exhibited higher diversity, with variable sites identified in all three markers (16S, 12S rRNA, and COI). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that, with the exception of H. scupense, the COI marker exhibited superior discriminatory power compared to the 16 S and 12 S rRNA markers. This enabled the discernment of distinct genetic clusters within each species. These findings underscore the importance of utilizing multiple molecular markers for confirming morphological diagnosis and specifically highlight the significance of the COI marker in assessing the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of Hyalomma ticks. By employing these markers, particularly COI, valuable insights into the evolutionary dynamics and epidemiological significance of Hyalomma ticks can be gained, facilitating targeted control measures against tick-borne diseases.

The tick fauna of El Salvador is currently represented by 10 species of hard ticks (family Ixodidae) and 2 species of soft ticks (family Argasidae). This study aimed to report new and additional records of ticks and rickettsiae in El Salvador. During 2019-2021, a total of 216 specimens of ticks were collected from eight host species (domestic and wild animals) and in the environment among 15 geographic localities of El Salvador. Combining morphological and molecular analyses, tick specimens were identified into the following 11 tick species: Amblyomma dissimile, Amblyomma longirostre, Amblyomma mixtum, Amblyomma ovale, Amblyomma cf. parvum, Amblyomma sabanerae, Amblyomma scutatum, Dermacentor panamensis, Ixodes boliviensis, Ornithodoros puertoricensis, and Otobius megnini. In addition, one free-living nymph was morphologically and molecularly identified as Ixodes sp., although closely related to Ixodes brunneus and Ixodes silvanus. Three rickettsial agents of the spotted fever group were identified: Rickettsia rhipicephali in D. panamensis; a Rickettsia endosymbiont in Ixodes boliviensis; and Rickettsia amblyommatis in A. cf. parvum. This study reports the first records of A. longirostre, D. panamensis, I. boliviensis, O. puertoricensis and O. megnini in El Salvador. In addition, the agents R. rhipicephali and Rickettsia sp. endosymbiont of I. boliviensis are also reported for the first time in the country. With the present study, the current tick fauna of El Salvador increases to 17 species, being 13 Ixodidae and 4 Argasidae, including the addition of one genus to each of these two families (Ixodes and Otobius, respectively).

Studying teratological abnormalities in ticks are taxonomically important because this poorly understood biological phenomenon causes difficulties in tick's identification. Globally, reports regarding these abnormalities in ticks, reasons of their causes and their impacts are scarce. According to the available published data, there are no studies regarding teratological abnormalities in ticks from Pakistan. Herein, ticks examined for these abnormalities were museum deposited, collected from buffalos, cattle, camels, goats and sheep in 17 districts of Pakistan during 2017-2023. The abnormalities were observed in 88 out of 3279 (2.68%) ticks, representing eight ixodid species (Rhipicephalus microplus, Rhipicephalus turanicus, Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides, Haemaphysalis bispinosa, Haemaphysalis montgomeryi, Hyalomma anatolicum, Hyalomma scupense, Hyalomma dromedarii). Among abnormal ticks, 67 abnormalities were characterized as local, 12 as general and nine as a combination of both. Local abnormalities were observed in the scutum, palpal segments, anal aperture, spiracular plates, ventral plates, caudal appendage, festoons and posterior grooves. Also, the constrictions and excavations of body parts were observed. General abnormalities included irregular idiosoma and lateral idiosomal bifurcation. This study, for the first time, highlights the diversity of teratological abnormalities in Pakistani ticks, and are reported in in Hy. anatolicum, Ha. bispinosa and Ha. montgomeryi for the first time.

The saffron bulb mite, Rhizoglyphus robini Claparede (Acari: Acaridae), is the most important pest of the saffron crop in Iran. This pest attacks and feeds on saffron corms. For this reason, the corms are treated with acaricides before planting. The high activity of detoxification enzymes in arthropods may reduce their pesticide sensitivity. Diethyl maleate (DEM) is an inhibitor of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), piperonyl butoxide (PBO) is an inhibitor of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, and triphenyl phosphate (TPP) is an inhibitor of esterase activity. A filter paper method was used to determine the efficiency of these synergists in inhibiting the activity of detoxifying enzymes of R. robini. Adult mites were treated with these three synergists for 6, 12, 24, and 48 h, respectively. The activity of each detoxifying enzyme was measured and compared to the control treatment, and the inhibition percentage was calculated each time. The results showed that DEM reduced GST activity by 59.9% after 48 h, PBO inhibited cytochrome P450 activity by 30%, and TPP suppressed esterase activity by 38.5%. The most statistically significant inhibition occurred 24 h after pretreatment with each synergist. Bioassays with 24 h pretreatment showed that the sensitivity of R. robini to propargite increased by 1.6 times with PBO, 1.7 times with TPP, and 2.5 times with DEM. In conclusion, synergists and efficient inhibition of detoxifying enzymes can play a significant role in increasing the sensitivity of agricultural pests to pesticides and can be considered in managing pesticide resistance.

Migratory birds reach Europe from sub-Saharan Africa, and some avian species may harbor and transport infected ectoparasites, mainly ticks, native to the territories of departure. In 2022, a project focused on identifying the introduction of pathogens in Italy from Africa via migratory birds represented an important opportunity to investigate this particular route of tick dispersal. Among ticks collected from migratory birds on the island of Ventotene, Latium Region, we found one larva of a soft tick on a common whitethroat (Curruca communis) that was morphologically and molecularly identified to the species level as Argas (Persicargas) persicus (Oken 1818). This study reports the fifth detection of this species in Italy; therefore, it is considered very rare. Further monitoring programmes should be implemented to better monitor the spread of this species and possibly update its distribution.