Biological aspects and life-tables of the predatory mites, Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot and Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor), reared on four types of food

Document Type : Original research articles

Authors

1 Faculty of Agriculture, Menoufia University, Egypt

2 Economic Entomology and Agricultural Zoology Dept., Fac. of Agric., Menoufia Univ., Shebin El-Kom, Egypt

Abstract

Biological aspects and life-table parameters of the predatory  mites (Phytoseiidae) : Amblyseius  swirskii Athias-Henriot and Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor), feeding on four types of food i.e. Carpoglyphus lactis (Carpoglyphidae), Tetranychus urticae (Tetranychidae), Rhizoglyphus robini (Acaridae), and pollens of Castor bean plants, (Ricinus communis L., Euphorbiaceae) at 26±2°C and 75±5% RH. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the four diets on biological aspects and life-table of the two predatory mites, under investigation. Amblyseius swirskii and N. californicus successfully completed their development on the four types of food. The shortest life cycle of A. swirskii when fed on C. lactis and R. robini was 7.80 and 7.92 days, respectively, while the shortest period for N. californicus was 6.60 and 7.30 days when fed on T. urticae and R. robini, respectively.  The highest fecundity of A. swirskii was recorded when fed on C. lactis as 62.64 eggs/female, while the highest fecundity of N. californicus was 30.50 eggs/female when fed on T. urticae. The highest net reproductive rate (R0), intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm), and finite rate of increase (λ) were reported for A. swirskii fed on C. lactis, whereas the highest of these values for N. californicus were recorded when fed on T. urticae. The highest gross reproduction rate (GRR) was 48.62 offspring/individual when A. swirskii fed on C. lactis and it was 22.83 offspring/ individual when N. californicus fed on T. urticae. In conclusion, T. urticae and R. robini has a great potential as a suitable food for N. californicus, while C. lactis and R. robini is a suitable food for mass rearing of A. swirskii mite.

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