Ecological relationships between xerophilic fungi and house-dust mites (Acarida: Pyroglyphidae)

✍ Scribed by B. v. d. Lustgraaf

• Book ID: 104733523
• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1978
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 907 KB
• Volume: 33
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0029-8549
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00348118

✦ Synopsis

At. 75 and 80% relative humidity (RH), on a wheat germ flake medium, Aspergillus penicilloides grew abundantly and suppressed the population growth of Dermatophagoides pteronyssiunus. At 71% RH, A. penicilloides grew moderately and was only antagonistic to D. pteronyssinus when the fungus was previously incubated on the medium.On a human dander medium and on mattress dust, A. penicilloides grew moderately at 71% and 75% RH and stimulated the development of D. pteronyssinus populations. Also a moderate growth of Eurotium repens on human dander positively influenced D. pteronyssinus. Wallemia sebi and Penicillium brevicompactum grew slightly or did not grow at all at 75% RH. No effect was observed on D. pteronyssinus.It appears that xerophilic fungi may stimulate, and occasionally may reduce, the growth of house-dust mite populations in the natural environment.