Survey of the arthropod community in an outdoor mushroom growing operation

Resources and research concerning the insect communities present at outdoor mushroom farms in the Midwest U.S. are scarce. Certain insects can be detrimental to mushroom development. For example, oyster beetles (Triplax lacordairii) burrow inside oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus spp.) and feed on mushroom tissue from the inside out, reducing marketability.  On the other hand, the presence of parasitoids can be beneficial.  Due to the lack of information available, it is challenging for mushroom growers to determine when an insect is a pest and if so how to manage an infestation. We therefore conducted a survey of the arthropod diversity present in different areas of an outdoor mushroom farm in Minnesota. Throughout the 2015 growing season yellow sticky cards were used in three different mushroom growing areas of the farm (high tunnel, shade structure, and forest) to document arthropod diversity. Additionally, mushroom samples were collected from each of the three locations to capture any insects that were in or on the mushroom at the time of collection. Knowing when and where insects are present on mushrooms farms, as well as knowing the insect species present allows growers to make better informed decisions about management and cultivation practices. In this poster, we quantify and compare the most common orders of arthropods found in each growing area and across time. These findings are discussed in the context of how a mushroom farmer chooses to grow his mushrooms and treat for pests.