Composition comprising arthropods and astigmatid mite eggs
The present invention relates to a biological control composition comprising at least arthropod biological control agents and astigmatid mite eggs. The invention also relates to the use of astigmatid mite eggs as a nutrient source for arthropod biological control agents. The invention also relates to a biological control composition comprising at least one population of arthropod biological control agents, a nutrient source comprising astigmatid mite eggs, and optionally, a support and/or dissemination substrate. Finally, the present invention further relates to a method for rearing arthropods from astigmatid mite eggs as a nutrient source.
1. A method of rearing a population of arthropod biological control agents wherein the control agents are predators selected from the family Phytoseiidae, comprising feeding an effective amount of a nutrient source to the population of arthropod biological control agents, wherein the nutrient source comprises astigmatid mite eggs selected from eggs of Carpoglyphus lactis, Thyreophagus entomophagus, Aleuroglyphus ovatus, Tyrophagus putrescenciae, Acarus siro, Tyrolichus casei or Suidasia spp, and wherein the nutrient source does not contain larvae, nymphs and adult astigmatid mites.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the population of arthropod biological control agents comprises at least the species Amblyseius swirskii and that the astigmatid mite eggs comprise Aleuroglyphus ovatus eggs.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the astigmatid mite eggs represent at least 10%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 98%, 100% by weight in relation to the total weight of the nutrient source.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the arthropods and the astigmatid mite eggs are combined in a weight ratio between 1:3 and 1:7.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the nutrient source further includes eggs of at least one lepidopteran species.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the lepidopteran eggs are Ephestia kuhniella eggs.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein the lepidopteran eggs are Sitotroga cerealella eggs.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the population of arthropod biological control agents includes arthropods within the genus Amblyseius, Neoseiulus or Typhlodromips.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the population of arthropod biological control agents includes arthropods within the genus Amblyseius.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein astigmatid mite eggs are selected from eggs of Carpoglyphus lactis, Thyreophagus entomophagus , or Aleuroglyphus ovatus.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein astigmatid mite eggs are selected from eggs of Thyreophagus entomophagus or Aleuroglyphus ovatus.