International Journal of Zoological Research1811-97781811-9786Academic Journals Inc.10.3923/ijzr.2014.30.36 Macrocheles muscaedomesticae (Acarina: Macrochelidae)
as a Biological Control Agent Against House Fly, Musca domestica (Diptera:
Muscidae) in Egypt]]>Safaa Abo-TakaM. HeikalH.M. Abd El-RaheemA.M. 22014102Numerous species of macrochelids (Acarina: Mesostigmata) have shown capability
to attack housefly larvae and eggs but it is presumed that only a few of them
play a significant role in the control of flies in nature. Macrocheles muscaedomesticae
(Scopoli) is one of several mites that feeds on eggs, newly hatched and small
larvae of house fly Musca domestica L. This study provide avidence that
macrochelid mite is attacking not only housefly larvae and eggs but also on
housefly adults. Macrocheles muscaedomesticae mite was reared in the
laboratory on house fly frozen eggs and first instar of larvae at constant conditions
of 28°C±1 and 90% relative humidity using sterilized artificial diet.
The mean incubation period of eggs, total immatures, female longevity were 0.7,
4.0 and 25.2 days, respectively when fed on frozen eggs meanwhile means were
0.8, 7.0 and 22.6 days when fed on first instar larvae of M. domestica.
The total consumption of female was 131.1 eggs/female or 82.7 larvae. Results
of the present study showed that the mean mortality percentages of eggs due
to predation of three levels of predator 2, 5 and 10 individuals were 57.2,
74.9 and 96.5 after 5, 4, 2 days, respectively. Also, the larval stage of M.
domestica was introduced with three levels of 10, 20 and 25 individuals
for each level of predatory mite 2, 5 and 10 adults, respectively. Results revealed
that the best results were recorded at the level of 5 mites, where the mean
mortality percentage of larvae was 100% after one day when introduced with 10
houseflys larvae but it was
96% after two days when introduced with 20 houseflys
larvae and 76.2% after three days when introduced with 25 houseflies larvae
at level of 5. In addition, the present study provide evidence that mites can
consume the housefly adult stage. Our findings indicated that the best results
were recorded at the level of 10 mites where the mean mortality percentages
of adults were 83.55%, the fly died after two days of one prey treatment, 62.5%
after four days of two preys treatment while it was only 55.57% after three
days of three preys treatment.]]>Abbott, W.S.,192518265267Ahmed, S. and M. Irfanullah,2007Musca domestica L.]]>9782784Al-Dulaimi, S.I.,2002Macrocheles glaber (Muller) (Acarina: Macrochelidae) on the house fly Musca domestica L. with some notes on its biology.]]>9711Axtell, R.C.,196154748748Axtell, R.C.,196356317321Axtell, R.C.,196457584587Axtell, R.C.,19691969pp: 401406Axtell, R.C.,197063400405Farish, D.J. and R.C. Axtell,1971Macrocheles muscaedomesticae (Acarina: Macrochelidae).]]>131629Filipponi, A.,19602167172Filipponi, A.,196431499501Filipponi, A. and G.D. di Delupis,196324277288Filipponi, A. and M.G. Petrelli,1967Macrocheles muscaedomesticae (Scopoli) (Acari: Mesostigmata).]]>28129156Stoffolano Jr., J.G. and C.J. Geden,1987Carcinops pumilio (Coleoptera: Histeridae) sex ratios, ovarian condition and body size.]]>24214222Geden, C.J. and R.C. Axtell,1988Carcinops pumilio (Coleoptera: Histeridae) and Macrocheles muscaedomesticae (Acarina: Macrochelidae) on the house fly (Diptera: Muscidae): Functional response, effects of temperature and availability of alternative prey.]]>17739744Geden, C.J. and J.G. Stoffolano Jr.,198823136148Geden, C.J., R.E. Stinner and R.C. Axtell,198817320329Ito, Y.,1973Macrocheles muscaedomesticae (Acarina : Mesostigmata).]]>23209213Krantz, G.W.,19831983pp: 91-98pp: 91-98O'Donnell, A.E. and R.C. Axtell,1965Fuscoropoda vegetans (Acarina: Uropodidae) on house fly Musca domestica.]]>58403404Palacios, S.M., A. Bertoni, Y. Rossi, R. Santander and A. Urzua,2009Musca domestica L.]]>1419381947Peck, J.H. and J.R. Anderson,19696163167Snedecor, G.W. and W.G. Cochran,19676th Edn.,Pages: 593Pages: 593Willis, R.R. and R.C. Axtell,1968Fuscoropoda vegetans and Macrocheles muscadomesticae.]]>6116691674Wilkins, R.M. and M. Khalequzzaman,19931993pp: 157162