From coincidence to candidate: Sericoderus lateralis and its role in biological control of plant fungal pathogens

Abstract: Mycophagy represents a trophic interaction in which organisms utilize fungi as a
food source. Numerous insect taxa exhibit mycophagous behaviour. In the context of biological control, the well-known and promising examples are some species of Coccinellidae beetles that consume powdery mildew fungi (Erysiphaceae) on crops, for example on strawberries. By coincidence, a significant level of mycophagy was discovered in Sericoderus lateralis (Gyllenhal, 1827) (Coleoptera: Corylophidae). During an outbreak of tomato leaf mould (Cladosporium fulvum Cooke 1883) in a hydroponic tomato greenhouse in the Czech Republic (Farma Bezdínek, Dolní Lutyně), relatively high numbers of adults and larvae were observed directly within infected leaf spots. Further investigation revealed that both adults and larvae actively consumed Cladosporium fulvum tissues, resulting in a 44 % reduction of leaf mould spots. Two samples of adult specimens of S. lateralis were collected from tomato crop and analysed at the Mendeleum – Institute of Genetics, Faculty of Horticulture, Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic. PCR-based fungal profiling of sample taken from C. fulvum infected leaves revealed a diverse fungal community within beetle bodies, dominated by Alternaria (16.1 %), Didymella (12.3 %), Penicillium (7.6 %), Cladosporium (6.3 %), and Epicoccum (5.5 %). These results indicate that S. lateralisis not a fungal specialist; however, Cladosporium appears to represent an attractive food source under outbreak conditions. Ecological observations identified cut leaf biomass and plant residues beneath the gutter system as the primary habitat of S. lateralis in the greenhouse. Additionally, substantial adult activity was recorded on sticky traps at tomato crop canopy level (~ 4 m) in June 2025. These findings identify S. lateralis as a promising candidate for the biological control of fungal plant diseases in protected cropping systems.