PREDATION BY THE MITE MACROCHELES GLABER (MÜLLER) (ACARINA: MACROCHELIDAE) ON THE HOUSE FLY MUSCA DOMESTICA L. WITH SOME NOTES ON ITS BIOLOGY

Abstract

Macrocheles glaber (Müller) is one of several mites that feeds on eggs, newly hatched &
small larvae of house fly Musca domestica L. This mite was reared in the laboratory on house
fly frozen eggs at constant conditions of 28°C±1 and 90% relative humidity using sterilized
horse dung substrate. The predation rate of adult female and male on frozen eggs was (18, 3)
eggs/mite/day respectively, the number of frozen eggs destroyed by adult female through its
life was 185.6 eggs.
The mean duration of adult female from egg to adult stage was 2.67 days, the longevity of
female was 27.8 days, the mean daily egg production was 2.7 egg with total egg productivity
of 72.1 egg.