Abstract
When each stage of Histiogaster sp. was a;;lied to a fungal colony of Lentinula edodes (shiitake mushrooms) individually, every larva and protonymph failed to develop and subsequently died. The average survival period of larvae on the fungal colonies was significantly shorter than that on agar mediums, on which most mites were considered to die to starvation. Only 20% of tritonymphs developed into the next stage (adult) on the fungal colonies, while 70% of them succeeded in developing into adults on agar medium. It was suggested that most Histiogaster sp. did not develop on L. edodes due to lack of nutrients. As fecal pellets were not observed on the fungus, it is postulated that they must have failed to feed on hyphae. Addition to this, L. edodes seemed to inhibit mite development because a tendency was observed that often mites became entangled in the hyphae.
