Temperature-dependent development and survival of an invasive genotype of wheat curl mite, Aceria tosichella

Abstract

Quantifying basic biological data, such as the effects of variable temperatures on development and survival, is crucial to predicting and monitoring population growth rates of pest species, many of which are highly invasive. One of the most globally important pests of cereals is the eriophyoid wheat curl mite (WCM), Aceria tosichella, which is the primary vector of several plant viruses. The aim of this study was to evaluate temperature-dependent development and survival of WCM at a wide range of constant temperatures in the laboratory (17–33 °C). The development time of each stage depended significantly on temperature and it was negatively correlated with temperature increase. At high temperatures (27–33 °C), individuals had shorter developmental times, with the shortest (6 days) at 33 °C, whereas at the lowest tested temperatures (17–19 °C), developmental time was almost 3× longer. Moreover, temperature had a clear effect on survival: the higher the temperature, the lower the survival rate. These data provide information promoting more efficient and effective manipulation of WCM laboratory colonies, and further our understanding of the ramifications of temperature change on WCM physiology and implications for the growth and spread of this globally invasive pest.

Mechanisms of dispersal and colonisation in a wind-borne cereal pest, the haplodiploid wheat curl mite

“…Subsequently, we identified the developmental stage of each individual by its morphology, and transferred it to the fragment of wheat leaf placed in 12-well plates filled with modified in vitro MS medium (according to Karpicka-Ignatowska et al 47 ). Individuals were then incubated at 27 °C, 60% RH, which are optimal conditions for rapid WCM development in laboratory conditions 48 . Females were kept on the leaf fragment for 4 days and were allowed to lay eggs (F1).…”

A sink host allows a specialist herbivore to persist in a seasonal source

“…The plants (20 per pot, 30 pots per species) with mites were kept in incubators under controlled conditions (27°C, photoperiod 16 L : 8 D cycle, 60% RH). Egg-to-egg developmental time of WCM MT-1 at 27°C is 7 days [ 46 ]; thus, we counted mites after 14, 21 and 28 days, roughly corresponding to two, three and four generations, respectively, with 10 replicates (i.e. single pots) of each plant species per time interval.…”

Occurrence and Characterization of Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus Found in Mono- and Mixed Infection with High Plains Wheat Mosaic Virus in Winter Wheat in Ukraine

“…For decades, A. tosichella was mostly found in the eastern part of the country where the climatic conditions (i.e., average annual temperature, etc.) may have favored its spread and overwintering, similar to other parts of the world [53,54] The current data on the occurrence of this virus vector in other regions of Ukraine are to be elucidated.…”