Document Type : Original research articles
Authors
1
Fruit Trees Mites Dept., Plant Protection Research Institute, ARC, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
2
Plant Protection Research Institute, Agric. Res. Center, Giza, Egypt
Abstract
Behavioral and biological aspects of the pholcid spider, Micropholcus fauroti (Simon, 1887) (Araneae: Pholcidae) at 26±2°C and 75±10% RH were studied. Female deposited its eggs in webbing basket, and carried it all around through eggs incubation period. Newly hatched spiderlings are very transparent and delicate. They stayed in the basket and molted inside or shortly after getting out of it. This spider went through eight spiderlings to reach adult as female and seven ones as male. First spiderling was noticed to molt for the following one without feeding. Second to fourth spiderlings were reared on Tetranychus urticae motile stages, while later ones on Ephestia kuehniella moths. Males developed faster than females during 187.53 and 208.81 days, respectively. Generation time expanded to 212.4 days. Adult females lived longer than males (i.e. 60.00 and 45.53 days, respectively). Life span averaged 268.8 and 233.1 days for females and males, respectively. Survival ratio of individuals reached maturity was 72%. Sex ratio was 0.682 females/total. Females’ fecundity was 68.26 eggs/female. Female produced a mean of 4.02 sacs; each contained an average of 12.95 eggs/ sac. Mean number of eggs/sac was 13.22, 22.44, 14.51, 8.56 and 6.00 eggs/sac for first to fifth one, respectively. Intervals between egg sacs’ deposition averaged 12.9 days. Mean consumption of T. urticae was 325.4 and 345.7 during second to fourth spiderlings for females and males, respectively. Obtained data indicated life table parameters of M. fauroti under studied conditions as mean generation time (T) = 232.2 days, net reproductive rate (Ro) = 40.174, intrinsic rate of increase (rm) = 0.477 per month and exp (rm) = 1.611 individual/individual/month, as this organism is slow developing one. Mean consumption of E. kuehniella was 326.58 and 238.23 moths/individual, for female and male, respectively, during fifth spiderling to adult stage. Mean consumption of E. kuehniella was 175.1 and 69.8 moths for females and males, respectively, during adult stage longevity.
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