Alternative food promotes broad mite control on chilli pepper plants

Abstract

Many omnivorous arthropods are important natural enemies because they can feed on plantprovided pollen and several prey species, and thus persist in crops even in the absence of the target pest. Hence, populations of these predators can be established in a crop by providing alternative food, thus increasing biological control. We investigated how alternative food affects broad mite (Polyphagotarsonemus latus) control on chilli pepper plants by predatory mites. The predatory mite Amblyseius herbicolus had high oviposition and population growth rates when fed with cattail pollen, chilli pepper pollen and bee-collected pollen, and a low rate on the alternative prey Tetranychus urticae. Supplementing pepper plants with pollen resulted in better control of broad mite populations. Release of A. herbicolus on young plants with weekly addition of honeybee pollen until plants produce flowers seems a viable strategy to sustain populations of this predator, thus protecting young, vulnerable plants from broad mite infestations.

Performance of Orius insidiosus on alternative foods

“…Moreover, the addition of prey as alternative food for predators often benefits juvenile survival and developmental time, adult longevity and fecundity (Cocuzza et al 1997). It is know that the addition of alternative foods for predators can improve control of pests, resulting in lower pest densities (de Klerk and Ramakers 1986;Nomikou et al 2002Nomikou et al , 2010van Rijn et al 2002;Liu et al 2006;Delisle et al 2015;Duarte et al 2015;Janssen and Sabelis 2015;Leman and Messelink 2015).…”

Provisioning predatory mites with entomopathogenic fungi or pollen improves biological control of a greenhouse psyllid pest

“…Supplemental food for predatory mites could influence the performance of predators on pests in crops . The addition of pollen does not always improve the outcome of predatory mite on target prey.…”

“…Supplemental food for predatory mites could influence the performance of predators on pests in crops. [63][64][65] The addition of pollen does not always improve the outcome of predatory mite on target prey. The increasing A. limonicus population on strawberries supplemented by T. latifolia pollen does not improved the control efficiency on F. occidentalis and whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae).…”

Integrated pest management component of the Ethio-Dutch Program for Horticulture Development : contribution of Wageningen University and Research - final report

“…Potential target pests: This species seems to be a generalist predatory mites. It is reported to be a excellent predator of broad mites, Polyphagotarsonemus latus and the tobacco whitefly Bemisia tabaci, and it also reproduces op spider mites and pollen (Rodriguez-Cruz et al 2013, Cavalcante et al 2015, Duarte et al 2015.…”