Functional Response of Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot to the Two-Spotted Spider Mite Different Stages (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Document Type : Original research articles

Authors

1 Agricultural Zoology Dept., Fac. of Agric., Mansoura Univ., Mansoura, Egypt

2 Plant Protection Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the functional response of the predator Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot fed on Tetranychus urticae Koch larvae, nymphs and adults at different densities. A logistic regression of the proportion of prey consumed as a function of initial prey density was conducted to identify functional response types, and used nonlinear least-squares regression and the random predator equation to estimate attack rates and handling times. Overall, adult females P. persimilis exhibited a type 2 functional response to  T.  urticae. Whereas, attack rate (a) and handling time (Th) of P. persimilis recorded 0.1722, 0.5034 and 0.4776 and 1.4699, 2.1133 and 3.051 when offering larvae, nymphs and adults of T. urticae respectively.

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