A method for raising giant red mite indoors

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the field of insect rearing technology, and specifically relates to a method for indoor rearing of giant fruit mites. This method first establishes a population of aphids, an insect prey of giant fruit mites, and then utilizes this established aphid population to rear giant fruit mites for generations. The method includes the steps of establishing the aphid population, cultivating the giant fruit mites, and establishing a giant fruit mite population. The rearing method provided by the present invention enables continuous generation of giant fruit mites in artificial indoor culture, allowing stable production of giant fruit mites of different ages, and providing support for biological experiments or product research related to giant fruit mites.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of insect breeding, and particularly relates to a method for breeding giant red mite indoors. Background Art

[0002] Since modernization, with the development of the chemical industry, highly effective and fast-acting chemical pesticides have become the primary tool for plant protection. However, over time, the side effects of chemical pesticides have become increasingly apparent. Their threats to food safety and impacts on the ecological environment have attracted increasing attention. At the same time, due to the emergence of pesticide resistance, the effectiveness of chemical pesticides against many pests and diseases has gradually weakened.

[0003] Small crop pests, due to their high reproductive capacity and short generation cycles, coupled with long-term use of chemical pesticides, have developed resistance, increased chemical residues in agricultural products, seriously impacted the quality and safety of agricultural products, and reduced the number of natural enemies. Predatory mites offer unique advantages: small size, large prey loads, wide distribution, strong adaptability, rapid growth, and easy reproduction. These characteristics ensure that predatory mites play a positive role in controlling small pests. While China has abundant resources of predatory mites, few have been developed. On the other hand, some resources have clear application value but are difficult to exploit due to the lack of large-scale production.

[0004] The giant red mite (Erythrostichum spp.) is a dominant predatory natural enemy in tea garden ecosystems. Its prey range is wide, encompassing spider mites, gall mites, and tenuipalpate mites, as well as small insects such as aphids, whiteflies, scale insects, leafhoppers, psyllids, midges, and springtails. Its long lifespan and cold tolerance make it a highly promising predatory mite for industrialization. If the giant red mite could be artificially reared on a large scale and released into the field, it would effectively control pests in tea gardens, reduce pesticide use, and contribute to ecological conservation. However, experiments have shown a low hatch rate in artificially reared giant red mite. Currently, the technology for artificially rearing giant red mite is immature, and there is no method capable of continuous cultivation for generations. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a method for raising Macrocarpon rotundus indoors.

[0006] The technical solution adopted in the present invention is as follows:

[0007] A method for indoor breeding of giant red mite, comprising first establishing a population of insects that the giant red mite preys on, and then using the established insect population to breed giant red mite for generations, wherein the insects that the giant red mite preys on are aphids. The method comprises the following steps:

[0008] S1. Establishing aphid populations

[0009] S11 selects wingless aphids of the same age and moves them into an indoor insect cage A containing branches of the aphid host plant, and incubates the insect cage A for 10 days at a temperature of 20-26° C., a relative humidity of 80%, and a photoperiod of 12 h:12 h;

[0010] S12. After 10 days of incubation, host plant branches with aphids were collected from cage A, with the collected number accounting for 1 / 3 to 1 / 2 of the total number of branches. The collected branches were placed in a new cage B with new host plant branches at a ratio of 1:4 to 6, and incubated at a temperature of 20 to 26°C, a relative humidity of 80%, and a photoperiod of 12h:12h. Step S13 was repeated to achieve continuous propagation of aphids.

[0011] S2. Cultivation of the giant red mite

[0012] The remaining host plants of S11 were moved into new insect cages C, and adult red mites to be reared were moved into the new insect cages C at a ratio of 25 to 50 aphids to 1 red mites, and cultured in a greenhouse at a temperature of 15 to 20° C., a relative humidity of 80 to 90%, and a photoperiod of 12 h:12 h.

[0013] Establishment of the S3 fruit giant red mite population

[0014] After a period of cultivation, adult red mites of the fruit are picked from the host plant, and step S2 is repeated, i.e. a new batch of red mites of the fruit are cultivated in a new insect cage X, thereby achieving continuous rearing of red mites of the fruit.

[0015] Preferably, the insects preyed by the macroerythrorhizium rotundum are tea aphids, and the host plant is the tender shoots of tea trees.

[0016] Preferably, the tea tree shoots are maintained by hydroponics, specifically: collecting tea tree shoots from a tea garden, soaking the tea tree shoots in clean water for 1 to 2 hours, wiping the leaves with 75% alcohol, and then washing the volatile residues of the alcohol with clean water, and finally inserting the tail end of the tea tree shoots into a container filled with clean water and fixing them so that the tea tree shoots remain upright.

[0017] Preferably, the selection criteria for the tea tree shoots are that the leaf internodes have tender buds, 7 to 11 leaves are left and the branches are lignified.

[0018] Preferably, in step S12, before collecting the host plant branches with aphids, the process also includes trapping winged aphids, specifically, placing a yellow board in the insect cage A, trapping winged aphids, and then collecting the host plant branches with wingless aphids and nymphs.

[0019] Preferably, the container is an indoor hydroponic device, comprising a container body and a support bracket arranged above the container body, the container body contains water and floral mud above the water surface, the support bracket comprises a mesh plate arranged on the opening of the container body, the tea branches pass through the mesh plate and are inserted into the floral mud to keep them upright and retain moisture.

[0020] Preferably, each opening of the mesh plate for inserting tea branches is further fixedly provided with a hollow tube for assisting the tea branches to remain upright.

[0021] Preferably, a layer of substrate is laid on top of the mesh plate for the giant red mite to lay eggs. The substrate is composed of tea leaves and / or tea branches with a diameter of 0.3 to 0.6 cm and is laid with a thickness of 5 cm.

[0022] Preferably, the matrix is composed of broken tea leaves with a diameter of 0.3 to 0.6 cm and broken tea branches mixed in a volume ratio of 6:4, and the matrix humidity is maintained at 50-70%.

[0023] Preferably, a layer of gauze is provided between the mesh plate and the matrix to prevent mites from escaping into the container body.

[0024] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0025] The invention realizes the artificial indoor continuous generation culture of the giant red mite by first establishing a population of insects preyed upon by the giant red mite and then using the established insect population to raise the giant red mite for generations.

[0026] Aphids, especially tea aphids, are selected as predatory insects for the giant red mite. Tea branches and tea aphids are widely available, tea aphids have strong reproductive capacity, and are easy to raise indoors. Tea branches are used as host plants for tea aphids, and hydroponics can keep them fresh for a long time, basically meeting the food needs of tea aphids during their growth cycle. At the same time, tea branches are also suitable as a culture carrier for the giant red mite.

[0027] Adding soil at least 5 cm thick into the host plant hydroponic device can provide a site for the giant red mite to lay eggs. In the method provided by the present invention, the hatching rate of the giant red mite is increased to more than 90%. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of the hydroponic device of the present invention, which is placed in an insect cage.

[0029] The meanings of the symbols in the figure are as follows:

[0030] 10 - Insect cage 20 - Hydroponic device 21 - Container body 22 - Floral mud 23 - Mesh plate 231 - Opening 24 - Hollow tube 25 - Matrix 26 - Gauze 30 - Tea branch DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Unless otherwise specified, the terms used herein have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art.

[0032] The technical solution of the present invention is described in more detail below with reference to the embodiments:

[0033] Example 1

[0034] A method for indoor rearing of giant red mite (Erythrosoma spp.), comprising establishing a giant red mite predatory mite population and then using the established insect population to rear giant red mite for generations. The giant red mite preys on tea aphids, and the method comprising the following steps:

[0035] S1. Establishing aphid populations

[0036] S11: selecting wingless tea aphids of the same age and transplanting them into an indoor insect cage A containing branches of aphid host plants, i.e., fresh tea branches; and incubating the insect cage A for 10 days at a temperature of 25° C., a relative humidity of 80%, and a photoperiod of 12 h:12 h.

[0037] S12. After 10 days of incubation, place a yellow board in insect cage A to attract winged aphids. Then, collect tea branches with wingless aphids and nymphs, accounting for 1 / 3 to 1 / 2 of the total number of branches, and place them in a new insect cage B with fresh tea branches at a ratio of 1:4 to 6. Incubate at a temperature of 25°C, a relative humidity of 80%, and a photoperiod of 12 h:12 h. Repeat the above steps to achieve continuous propagation of aphids.

[0038] S2. Cultivation of the giant red mite

[0039] The remaining tea branches of S11 were moved into a new insect cage C, and the adult red mites to be raised were moved into the new insect cage C according to the ratio of aphids to red mites (25-50):1, and cultured in a greenhouse with a temperature of 18-24°C, a relative humidity of 80%, and a photoperiod of 12h:12h.

[0040] The average developmental period of the red mite raised by the above method at different temperatures is shown in Table 1.

[0041] Table 1 Average developmental period of the giant red mite at different temperatures

[0042]

[0043] Establishment of the S3 fruit giant red mite population

[0044] After culturing at 18° C. for about 60 days, the adult M. rotundifolia mites on the host plant are collected and step S2 is repeated, i.e., a new batch of M. rotundifolia mites are re-cultivated in a new insect cage X to achieve continuous rearing of M. rotundifolia mites.

[0045] In the above process, tea branches select tender shoots of tea trees and are maintained by hydroponics, specifically: tender shoots of tea trees are collected from tea gardens, and the selection criteria are tender shoots of tea trees with tender buds between leaf nodes, 7 to 11 leaves and lignified branches. After soaking in clean water for 1 to 2 hours, the leaves are wiped with 75% alcohol, and then the volatile residues of alcohol are rinsed with clean water. Finally, the tail end of the tender shoots of tea trees are inserted into an indoor hydroponic device and fixed so that the tender shoots of tea trees remain upright.

[0046] Example 2

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the indoor hydroponic device 20 is arranged in the insect cage 10, and the hydroponic device 20 includes a container body 21 and a support bracket arranged above the container body 21. The container body 21 contains water and floral mud 22 above the surface of the water body, and the support bracket includes a mesh plate 23 arranged on the opening of the container body 21. The tea branches 30 pass through the mesh plate 23 and are inserted into the floral mud 22 to remain upright and retain moisture.

[0048] Furthermore, each opening 231 of the mesh plate 23, for inserting tea branches 30, is fixed with a hollow tube 24 to help the tea branches 30 remain upright. A layer of matrix 25 is laid above the mesh plate 23 for the mites to lay their eggs. The matrix 25 is composed of a mixture of 0.3-0.6 cm diameter tea leaves and chopped tea branches in a 6:4 volume ratio. The matrix 25 maintains a humidity of 50-70% and is laid 5 cm thick. A layer of gauze 26 is also placed between the mesh plate 23 and the matrix 25 to prevent the mites from escaping into the container body 21.

[0049] The above insect cage labels A, B, C, X, etc. are only used to distinguish between steps.

[0050] Example 3

[0051] The present invention uses the above-mentioned breeding method to measure the egg production and hatching rate of the giant red mite. The hatching rate of the giant red mite on the substrate is significantly higher than that in the culture dish, and the hatching rate is as high as over 90%. The specific implementation method is as follows:

[0052] Based on Example 1, in step S3, 15 individuals of the early oviposition stage of the M. rotundus were selected and individually reared, along with the same number of tea aphid nymphs. The oviposition sites were the substrate and the culture dish, respectively, and this process was repeated three times. The egg production and hatching rate were calculated, and the results are shown in Table 2.

[0053] Table 2 Egg laying amount and hatching rate of Erythrorhizium spp.

[0054]

[0055] It can be seen that by adopting the breeding method provided by the present invention, the hatching rate of the giant red mite on the substrate is above 90%, and the substrate used for hatching is directly derived from the hydroponic device, which is easy to obtain and low in cost, and can greatly increase the number of hatching giant red mite.

[0056] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for raising Macrocarpon spp. indoors, characterized in that: The method first establishes an insect population that the giant red mite preys on, and then uses the established insect population to raise the giant red mite for generations, wherein the giant red mite preys on the insects being aphids. The method comprises the following steps: S1. Establishing aphid populations S11 selects wingless aphids of the same age and moves them into an indoor insect cage A containing branches of the aphid host plant, and incubates the insect cage A for 10 days at a temperature of 20-26° C., a relative humidity of 80%, and a photoperiod of 12 h:12 h; S12. After 10 days of incubation, host plant branches with aphids were collected from cage A, with the collected branches accounting for 1 / 3 to 1 / 2 of the total number of branches. The collected branches were placed in a new cage B equipped with new host plant branches at a ratio of 1:4 to 6. The culture was maintained at a temperature of 20-26°C, a relative humidity of 80%, and a photoperiod of 12h:12h. Steps S11 and S12 were repeated to achieve continuous propagation of aphids. S2. Cultivation of the giant red mite The remaining host plants of S11 were moved into new insect cages C, and adult red mites to be reared were moved into the new insect cages C at a ratio of 25 to 50 aphids to 1 red mites, and cultured in a greenhouse at a temperature of 15 to 20° C., a relative humidity of 80 to 90%, and a photoperiod of 12 h:12 h. Establishment of the S3 fruit giant red mite population After a period of cultivation, adult red mites of the fruit are picked from the host plant, and step S2 is repeated, i.e. a new batch of red mites of the fruit are cultivated in a new insect cage X, thereby achieving continuous rearing of red mites of the fruit.

2. The method for raising Macrocarpon spp. indoors according to claim 1, wherein: The insects preyed upon by the macroerythrorhizium rotundum are tea aphids, and the host plant is the tender shoot of a tea tree.

3. The method for raising Macrocarpon spp. indoors according to claim 2, wherein: The tea tree shoots are maintained by a hydroponic method, specifically, the tea tree shoots are collected from a tea garden, soaked in clean water for 1 to 2 hours, the leaves are wiped with 75% alcohol, and the volatile residues of the alcohol are rinsed with clean water. Finally, the tail ends of the tea tree shoots are inserted into a container filled with clean water and fixed so that the tea tree shoots remain upright.

4. The method for raising Macrocarpon spp. indoors according to claim 3, wherein: The selection criteria for the tea tree shoots are that the leaf internodes have tender buds, 7 to 11 leaves are left and the branches are lignified.

5. The method for raising Macrocarpon spp. indoors according to claim 2, wherein: In step S12, before collecting the host plant branches with aphids, the operation of attracting winged aphids is also included, specifically: a yellow board is placed in the insect cage A to attract winged aphids, and then the host plant branches with wingless aphids and nymphs are collected.

6. The method for raising Macrocarpon spp. indoors according to claim 3, wherein: The container is an indoor hydroponic device, including a container body and a support bracket arranged above the container body. The container body contains water and floral mud above the water surface. The support bracket includes a mesh plate arranged on the opening of the container body. The tea branches pass through the mesh plate and are inserted into the floral mud to keep them upright and retain moisture.

7. The method for raising Macrocarpon spp. indoors according to claim 6, wherein: A hollow tube is fixedly provided in each opening of the mesh plate for inserting a tea branch, so as to assist the tea branch in keeping upright.

8. The method for raising Macrocarpon spp. indoors according to claim 6, wherein: A layer of substrate is laid on the mesh plate for the giant red mite to lay eggs. The substrate is composed of tea leaves and / or tea branches with a diameter of 0.3 to 0.6 cm and is laid to a thickness of 5 cm.

9. The method for raising Macrocarpon rotundifolia indoors according to claim 8, wherein: The matrix is prepared by mixing broken tea leaves with a diameter of 0.3 to 0.6 cm and broken tea branches in a volume ratio of 6:4, and the humidity of the matrix is maintained at 50-70%.

10. The method for indoor breeding of Macrocarpon spp. according to claim 8, characterized in that: A layer of gauze is further provided between the mesh plate and the matrix to prevent mites from escaping into the container body.

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