Acaricidal Efficacy of Diatomaceous Earths on Different Life Stages of <i>Acarus siro</i> L. and <i>Tyrophagus putrescentiae</i> (Schrank)

<i>Acarus siro</i> L. and <i>Tyrophagus putrescentiae</i> (Schrank) (Sarcoptiformes: Acaridae) are cosmopolitan mite species in food storage and processing environments, infesting a wide variety of commodities. In the current study, the diatomaceous earths (DEs) InsectoSec an...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Maria C. Boukouvala, Constantin S. Filintas, Nickolas G. Kavallieratos
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Insects
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/7/693
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Summary:<i>Acarus siro</i> L. and <i>Tyrophagus putrescentiae</i> (Schrank) (Sarcoptiformes: Acaridae) are cosmopolitan mite species in food storage and processing environments, infesting a wide variety of commodities. In the current study, the diatomaceous earths (DEs) InsectoSec and Fossil Shield were evaluated for wheat protection against adults, larvae, and nymphs of <i>A. siro</i> and <i>T. putrescentiae</i>. Both DEs were examined at 200 and 500 ppm at 1, 2, and 5 days post-exposure. The efficacy of both formulations against <i>A. siro</i> and <i>T. putrescentiae</i> life stages depended on dose and exposure. Mortality of <i>A. siro</i> reached 100% in larvae, 99.3% in nymphs, and 95.6% in adults by day 5 at 500 ppm of InsectoSec. Similarly, Fossil Shield achieved almost complete larval mortality (99.3%) of <i>A. siro</i> at 500 ppm. For <i>T. putrescentiae</i>, 100% mortality was observed for larvae at both doses of InsectoSec and for adults or nymphs at 500 ppm by the fifth day. Fossil Shield caused a similar mortality to larvae, reaching 97.0% and 100%, at 200 and 500 ppm, respectively, after 5 days. Our findings indicate that InsectoSec and Fossil Shield can be used as sustainable management tools against <i>A. siro</i> and <i>T. putrescentiae</i>.
ISSN:2075-4450