2nd Inventors' Olympiad - GENIUS 2000 Budapest, Virtual Exhibition

Registry number: A/1-230 Category: A/2 Country: Hungary
Biopesticide - live spiders
  • The problem to be solved:
    The commercial biopesticide arthropods are host specific, therefore the combined use of different species is necessary against the simultaneously damaging thrips, mites and aphids. The applied species, however, are sensitive and require different microclimatic conditions.
  • Definition:
    Mass rearing of foliage dwelling spiders collected in the field, storage and delayed application of their egg-sacs against greenhouse pests, especially thrips, spider mites and aphids.
  • Presentation:
    Egg-sacs of foliage dwelling non web-building spiders (e.g. Xysticus spp., Tibellus spp., Philodromus spp.) are placed into beehive-like, closed breeding boxes. The inner structure - covered with a removable material - provides the spiders with a large surface within a relatively small volume, in order to decrease cannibalism. There are holes on one side of the box, where changeable tubes - containing fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) culture - are connected to the box. The inner side of the box is coated with Teflon, or with a Teflon-like material that spiders are unable to climb so that they cannot get into these tubes. From hatching to egg-laying, spiders feed on fruit flies emerging from the tubes. At the bottom of the box there are larvae of flour-beetles (Tenebrio molitor), which continuously clean up the dead fruit flies, preventing the underlay from mildewing. The maintenance of the breeding means the regular change of tubes - containing old cultures - to fresh ones. Simultaneously hatched spiders become mature and breed at the same time and attach their egg-sacs to the inner structure of the box. Egg-sacs are removed from the box together with the carrier surface and they are kept on low temperature to postpone hatching until application. Egg sacs are applied in greenhouses. From each egg-sac, 50-70 spiderlings (body length ca. 1 mm) emerge. Spiderlings distribute evenly on the plants, and suppress or eradicate populations of small-sized arthropods. Since hunting spiders do not spin a web for capturing prey, they do not pollute the plants with detectable quantity of silk. The cheliceral fang of these spiders – even of the adult individuals - is extremely short and unable to pierce human skin.

  • Application:
  • Advantages:
    The applied spiders are generalist predators and effective against a wide range of pests. Their egg-sacs are easy to store, handle, dose and apply, and the spiderlings are not sensitive to the fluctuation of temperature and humidity, and the lack of food. These spiders are harmless to man.
  • Stage of development:
    Experimental application
  • Documentation available: Yes
The inventor(s)
  • Name(s): Dr. Ferenc Tóth, Khosbayar Bayar
  • Self introduction:
    I was born in Miskolc (Hungary) in 1969. I obtained my Ph.D. degree from the role of spiders in pest control. I research and teach pest management at the Szent István University, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Department of Plant Protection, Gödöllő. I was born in Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) in 1972. The theme of my diplomawork was the application of rapeseed oil (TelmionR) as a bioacaricide in viticulture. I work in breeding of lucerne, soybean and chick-pea at the Szent István University, 2 Fleischmann Rudolf2 Agricultural Research Institute in Kompolt.
The protection
  • Form:
  • Priority:
  • Countries where it is force:
Business intention: Search for sponsors and partners for mass production
Contact
  • Name: Dr. Ferenc Tóth
  • E-mail: tothf@fau.gau.hu
  • Fax: (36-28) 522077
  • Address: H-2103 Gödöllő, Páter K. U. 1.