Rearing the predaceous mite, Amblyseius swirskii (Athias-Henriot) (Phytoseiidae) on artificial diets

Document Type : Original research articles

Authors

Plant Protec. Res. Inst., Agric. Res. Cent., Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

Abstract

This study was to develop a suitable artificial diet for mass rearing the economically important phytoseiid predator, Amblyseius swirskii which considered one of the most effective phytoseiid species used in agricultural systems for the control of spider mites. The basic artificial diet (AD) was composed of honey, glucose, milk, yeast and fresh egg yolk. This diet was enriched as (AD1) by adding hemolymph from mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori. Predators fed on Tetranychus urticae and AD1 had shorter immature and pre-oviposition periods than those fed on the other diets. The total number of deposited eggs was significantly higher for females fed on AD1 than those maintained on the other diets. There weren't significant differences between T. urticae and bee bread in the total number of deposited eggs and longevity. This indicates that rearing A. swirskii on bee bread was successful. Therefore this artificial diet can serve as a potentially useful food source for the long-term maintenance of A. swirskii populations.
 

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