Some Ecological and Biological Studies on Typhlodrompis swirskii (Athias-Henriot) (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Document Type : Original research articles

Authors

Zoology and Agric. Nematology Dep., Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Egypt

Abstract

Relative humidity of 70 to 85% proved to be the most suitable for Typhlodrompis swirskii (Athias-Henriot) at 25oC as it
accelerated development (10.0 & 10.8 days) and increased female fecundity (13.0 & 12.0 eggs/♀/10 days) on
Eutetranychus. orientalis immatures. Low temperature (5 & 9oC) prolonged egg incubation and decreased hatchability
as well as female survival. After one to four weeks, egg hatchability ranged from 90 to 50% and from 100 to 64% and
female survival from 50 to 0% and from 80 to 10% at 5 and 9oC, respectively. Multiple mating due to male company
through the whole female longevity or sporadically for 12 hours every 5 days increased female fecundity and longevity
as it averaged 47.0 & 35.0 eggs and 37.6 & 35.0 days compared with 25.0 eggs and 29.2 days for once mated female.
For food attraction and /or kairomone emitted that affects predator, T. swirskii females showed greater percentage of
attractance in a shorter period to more advanced prey stage and to mites than insects tested. Also fed females showed
more attraction than 24 starved females and the latters better than 48 hours starved ones. E. orientalis adults gave the
greatest percentage attraction (60%) in the shortest time (3.20 minutes) for fed female, while castor been pollens gave
the smallest (1%) and the longest time (121.6 minutes). Host plants of different leaf texture, affected female fecundity,
averaging the greatest (15.8 eggs/♀/10 days) on smooth leathery leaf of grape fruit, while coarse reticulated leaf of
guava resulted in the least number of deposited eggs (10.8 eggs/♀/10 days).

Keywords

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics