Published information on biological control of stored product insects by mites is meagre, although these arthropods are frequently found in the grain mass. The experiment was carried out aiming to assess the parasitism of the biological control agent Acarophenax lacunatus (Cross & Krantz) on populations of Dinoderus minutus (Fabr.). The experimental units consisted of 1.7 L glass jars containing 100 g of dry cassava, infested with 20 adults of D. minutus. Three days afterwards, four female physogastric mites were inoculated on each experimental unit. Four replicates were used for each treatment. It was observed that the mite has higher biotic potential than the host D. minutus. The egg parasitism (%) showed a high efficiency of A. lacunatus as a biological control agent of D. minutus, what led to a significant decrease of beetle populations. There was also a decrease in cassava weight loss due to the mite presence. Up to this data, A. lacunatus was reported parasitizing only eggs of R. dominica, however this report broadens the possibility of using this mite species in integrated pest management programs in storage environments.
Mite; biological control; stored cassava
