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Vol. 34, No. 2 Internat. J. Acarol. 151
EVALUATION OF INFESTING FIELD BINDWEED (CONVOLVULUS ARVENSIS L.)
WITH ACERIA MALHERBAE NUZZACI (ACARI: ERIOPHYIDAE) UNDER
GLASSHOUSE CONDITIONS
Silvia Rodríguez-Navarro, 1 Antonio Flores-Macías 1 and Gustavo Torres-Martínez 2
1. Departamento de Producción Agrícola y Animal, UAM-X, Calzada del Hueso No. 1100, Col. Villa Quietud,
CP 04960, México, D. F. (e-mail: snavarro@correo.xoc.uam.mx; floresuam@prodigy.net.mx); 2. Unidad de Roedores,
Aves y Malezas, Dir. Gral. de Sanidad Vegetal, SENASICA, Guillermo Pérez Valenzuela No. 127. Col. Coyoacan,
CP 04000, México (e-mail: gtorres@senasica.sagarpa.gob.mx).
ABSTRACT - A study was conducted under glasshouse conditions to determine the most effective method
of infesting Convolvulus arvensis L. with the mite Aceria malherbae (Acari: Eriophyidae). Seven treatments
were included with nine replications: 50, 150 and 200 individuals manually transferred; stems infested
with 3, 5 and 7 galls and a non-treated control. A number of infested stems and galls per plant were
evaluated. One hundred and fifty individuals manually transferred was the best treatment for both variables.
A high correlation (R² = 0.969) between infested stems and galls per plant was found.
Key words - Acari, Eriophyidae, field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.), Aceria malherbae Nuzzaci, infestation,
Mexico.
INTRODUCTION
Appropriately designed biological control programs
against alien weed species may be the best feasible methods
for controlling weeds which significantly affect
crops. This is the case with field bindweed, Convolvulus
arvensis L., where conventional control methods have
been exhausted or are regarded as ineffective. In Mexico
this weed affects all agricultural lands in the state of
Sonora and the Northeast (Mart�nez-Diaz, 2003) with
losses attributed to field bindweed in wheat crops along
the coast of Hermosillo in the state of Sonora alone as
high as 18 to 73% (Mart�nez-Diaz, 2001, 2002). Aceria
malherbae Nuzzaci (Acari: Eriophyidae) is one of four
species in Aceria which attack field bindweed in Greece,
Italy and Spain (Nuzacci et al., 1985). Because of its high
specificity this gall-forming mite survives on just a few
species of Convolvulus and Calystegia (Rosenthal, 1983).
In Texas, U.S.A., it was established successfully (Boldt
and Sobhian, 1993) and was released in various localities
in New Mexico, U.S.A. (Lauriault et al., 2002). In addition,
it established in Alberta, Canada (McClay et al.,
1999). As an alternative control option against the problem
caused by field bindweed (in Mexico), a biological
control research project was launched including the intro-
duction, reproduction and establishment of A. malherbae
(Rodríguez et al., 2004). The key issues in this project
were designing innovative rearing techniques adapted to
the particular requirements of A. malherbae and C.
arvensis to ensure successful release and colonization of
the mite in the cultivation methods used in this study.
Two infestation methods were evaluated to determine the
most promising methods for the release and establishment
of populations of the biological control agent (A. malherbae)
on plants of field bindweed (C. arvensis).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This work was conducted under glasshouse conditions
in the Centro Nacional de Referencia en Roedores,
Aves y Malezas in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico where a
breeding colony of A. malherbae was maintained on field
bindweed plants that originated from Hermosillo, Sonora,
Mexico. Plants used in the experiments were reared from
seeds which were sown in plastic pots, 17 cm in diameter
and 20 cm deep. One seed was placed at the surface of
each quarter and one in the middle of each pot; 80 ml of
water was provided four times per day by means of drip
irrigation regulated by an automatic programmable applicator.
In a randomly designed experiment seven treat-

152 Rodr�guez-Navarro et al. 2008
Table 1. Monthly temperature and humidity in the
glasshouse.
ments with nine replications were evaluated. In the first
three treatments, mites were transferred manually (50,
150 and 200 individuals) to the stems of field bindweed
(McClay et al., 1999); in another three treatments infested
stems with 3, 5 or 7 galls were twisted around healthy
stems of field bindweed (Rodr�guez et al., 2004; Lauriault
et al., 2002). For the final treatment, no plants were infested
as the controls.
Fifteen days after infestations a random sample was
taken to check for the presence of symptoms on the
treated plants. Mite specimens were mounted on slides using
Hoyer’s medium and identified by comparison with
A. malherbae characteristics (Nuzzaci et al., 1985).
Sampling - The number of galls and the number of
stems with galls were counted from all samples taken at
15 day intervals from each of the pots. Mean temperature
and humidity data for the duration of the trial were obtained
from sensors connected to a Hobo H21-001
climatologic station.
Statistical analyses - To corroborate the normal
distribution of data, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov; Cramervon
Mises and Anderson-Darling (SAS, 2001) methods
were used. Subsequently differences between sample
means were tested by ANOVA and a regression analysis
was done.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Because sample data did not represent a normal distribution
despite transformation, the analysis of variance
was not applied to the mean values, and instead the
non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis (Zar, 1996) method was
applied. According to Fig. 1, the selected ranges of the
samples used in the comparison representing the various
infested stems were not statistically different. Nevertheless
a positive response was observed with all the treatments
except for the controls and the treatment with infested
stems with three galls each. The treatment with 150
mites, overall, produced the highest number of infested
stems (Fig. 2).
The non-parametric tests used for the variation of
galls per plant, again, did not indicate any statistical differences
between the treatments. Similarly, as mentioned
before, the number of galls per plant in the controls and in
the treatment using 3 galls per stem showed no response.
The treatment with 150 mites again presented the highest
number of galls per plant. As was the case in the controls,
the absence of any response to the treatment using three
galls per stem could have been the result of the low survival
of A. malherbae.
The regression analysis (Fig. 3) to determine the relation
between the number of infested stems and the num-
Fig. 1. Infested stems for the various treatments (mean values). Bars with the same letter indicate no statistical differences
between treatments.

Vol. 34, No. 2 Internat. J. Acarol. 153
Fig. 2. Galls per plant (mean values). Bars with the same letter indicate no statistical difference between treatments.
ber of galls per plant showed a positive linear tendency
(R² = 0.969) indicating that the increase in the number of
galls attached to plants resulted in a 96.9% increase in the
number of infested stems: the more infested stems, the
more galls are formed on them.
The conditions under which the experiments were
conducted could have limited the infestations and damage
caused to field bindweed. Hammon (2007) mentioned an
inverse relationship between the amount of irrigated water
applied and the success of infestations. The daily application
to each pot of 320 ml of water and the high humidity
(Table 1) which occurred during the experiments
could have affected the settling success of the mites, negatively.
In these experiments the damage caused by A.
malherbae on the leaves of field bindweed was similar to
the damage observed by McClay et al. (1999) who reported
that over a period of one to four years, A.
malherbae caused light to severe damage to field bindweed
under field conditions.
Another important consideration is that when the
eriophyids are transferred one by one, it is guaranteed that
only A. malherbae is present in the new colony. However,
this method may cause dehydration if the mites are exposed
to direct heat or they may be injured while being
transferred. Also, when transfering by galls it is necessary
to clean the galls to avoid thrips, white flies, or spider
mites. The advantages of using this method are a higher
Fig. 3. Positive linear relationship in the number of galls dependent on the number of infested stems.

154 Rodr�guez-Navarro et al. 2008
number of eggs and different biological stages of A.
malherbae, plus the population grows satisfactorily.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors wish to thank Dr. Alec McClay,
McClay Ecoscience, 15 Greenbriar Crescent, Sherwood
Park, AB, Canada and Dr. Helmuth Zimmermann and Associates
(Central) P.O. Box 974, Faerie Glen Pretoria
0043, South Africa, for review and many suggestions on
the manuscript.
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