COLONIZATION OF GREENHOUSE NEMATODE CULTURES BY NEMATOPHAGOUS MITES AND FUNGI

Unproductive >7-year-old greenhouse cultures of citrus nematode (Tylen chulus semipenetrans) had a well-developed soil invertebrate fauna tha t included nematophagous mite species characteristic of Florida citrus groves. Nematophagous mite densities in box cultures were 285 +/- 42 mites/liter, 2.5 to 25 times higher than densities in citrus nematode- infested groves. Vigorous root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) c ultures grown in steam-pasteurized soil had few nematophagous mites un til more than 3 months after inoculation. Mite species diversity had a significant (P < 0.0001) positive linear relationship with culture ag e that explained about one-half the variance in species number. Nemato phagous mite densities rose and then fell with culture age. In root-kn ot cultures >3-months-old, mite densities often exceeded 1,000 mites/l iter. Twelve species of nematophagous fungi also were isolated from gr eenhouse nematode cultures.