Cheyletus-prey
Guides
Liposcelis decolor
booklouse
Liposcelis decolor is a minute stored-product pest psocid (booklouse) of significant economic importance worldwide. It infests stored grains and grain products, causing direct damage through consumption of endosperm and germ, and indirect damage by distributing molds and transmitting disease pathogens. The species exhibits high tolerance to phosphine fumigant, making chemical control difficult, and recovers rapidly from poorly conducted fumigations. It has been extensively studied as prey for biological control agents including the warehouse pirate bug Xylocoris flavipes and predatory mites Cheyletus eruditus and C. malaccensis.