Potato tubermoth (PTM) Phthorimaea operculella (Lep.: Gelechiidae) is one of the pest species affecting Solanaceae worldwide. It can cause up to 80% of losses in potato open air crops as well as damage up to 100% of tubers during storage. Blattisocius (= Typhlodromus) mali (Acari: Blattisociidae), a predatory mite, was studied as a potential biological control agent of PTM. A prey acceptance bioassay of PTM eggs was carried out. Additionally, two bioassays have been conducted under microcosm conditions, which assessed the densities of mite releases at two levels of PTM infestation. The results showed that B. mali female adults accept PTM eggs as prey, and they cause a mortality rate 89.63 ± 2.47%, 48 h later. In addition to this, under microcosm conditions with potato tubers, we found at low infestation level that the effectiveness of the predatory mite varied from 72.50 ± 28.50 to 100%, 28 days later, according to the release rate of mites. Under high infestation level, the effectiveness of biological control of the pest varied from 53.36 ± 25.55 to 92.51 ± 7.88%, also according to the release rate of the mites. The possible use of biological control with B. mali of PTM, in different types of potato storage, is analysed and discussed.

中文翻译：

---

Blattisocius mali Mite（Acari：Blattisociidae）作为马铃薯结节虫（鳞翅目：Gelechiidae）在贮藏马铃薯中的生物防治剂的潜力

马铃薯块茎 (PTM) Phthorimaea operculella (Lep.: Gelechiidae) 是影响全球茄科的害虫之一。它会导致马铃薯露天作物的损失高达 80%，并且在储存过程中会损坏高达 100% 的块茎。Blattisocius (= Typhlodromus) mali (Acari: Blattisociidae) 是一种捕食性螨，被研究作为 PTM 的潜在生物防治剂。进行了 PTM 卵的猎物接受生物测定。此外，在微观条件下进行了两项生物测定，评估了两个 PTM 感染水平下螨虫释放的密度。结果表明，马里拟南芥雌性成虫接受 PTM 卵作为猎物，48 小时后导致死亡率为 89.63 ± 2.47%。除此之外，在马铃薯块茎的微观条件下，我们发现在低侵染水平下，根据螨虫的释放率，捕食性螨虫的有效性在 28 天后从 72.50 ± 28.50 到 100% 不等。在高侵染水平下，害虫的生物防治效果从 53.36±25.55% 到 92.51±7.88% 不等，这也取决于螨虫的释放率。分析和讨论了在不同类型的马铃薯贮藏中可能使用 PTM 的 B. mali 进行生物防治。