Possibilities for the biological control of the bean weevils Acanthoscelides obtectus and Zabrotes subfasciatus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Abstract: In this study, we assessed the feasibility of using natural enemies for the control of the chrysomelid species Acanthoscelides obtectus and Zabrotes subfasciatus, key pests of stored dried beans. The predatory mites Blattisocius tarsalis and Amblyseius swirskii were able to prey on eggs of A. obtectus, and the larval parasitoid Anisopteromalus calandrae did parasitize their larvae, having a significant impact on the development of the chrysomelid population.Moreover, when the predators and the parasitoid were released together a synergistic effect was observed, causing more than 75% total mortality. In the case of Z. subfasciatus neither the predatory mites nor the parasitoid had any remarkable impact on its population development.