Biology and predatory efficiency of two phytoseiid mites as affected by long-term pollen feeding

Abstract

The predatory mites, Amblyseius gossypi ELBADRY and Phytoseius plumifer (CANESTmNr & FANZAGO) successfully went through three generations on a diet of castor-oil pollen and were able to return to their natural prey, Tetranychus arab&us ATTIAH, apparently unaffected in a way except for a reduction in the predatory efficiency of adult A. gossypi.The phytoseiid mites, Amblyseius gossypi ELBADRY and Phytoseius plumifer (CANESTRINI & FANZAGO) are prevalent on different hosts in Egypt. The effect of pollen feeding on the development and predatory efficiency of these two predators was studied for one generation by ELBADRY & ELBANHAWY (1968 a, b) and ZAHER et al. (1969).After a pollen diet, however, females of Typhlodromus pyri SCHEUTEN gave rise to a generation which reproduced only when supplied with some animal prey (DOSSE, 1961) and the situation in respect of A. gossypi and P. phtmifer was therefore investigated. At the same time observations were made on whether or not a prolonged diet of pollen affected the predatory efficiency or biology of these two predatory mites. MATERIALS AND METHODSTwenty newly hatched larvae of A. gossypi were confined singly on detached leaves of broad bean and 20 newly hatched larvae of P. plumifer were confined singly on detached leaves of fig. The leaves were kept in Petri dishes on water-saturated plastic foam.Anthers of castor-oil Ricinus communis were placed on leaves every 3-4 days as a pollen source. The mites were examined daily and allowed to complete development and reproduce for three successive generations. Number of eggs deposited per female during 14 successive days was determined.After three generations on a pollen diet 20 newly hatched larvae of the fourth generation of both A. gossypi and P. plumifer were confined singly in Petri dishes on detached leaves as described before. In place of pollen each larva was supplied with 20 young Tetranychus arabicus ATTIAH and its development was observed daily. The tetranychids consumed were replaced daily to maintain an ample food supply for all larval requirements. The data obtained from this group were compared with those of 20 larvae brought from a culture maintained on tetranychids. The experiments were conducted in the laboratory at a temperature of 25~ and 70 ~ R.H.

Biologia de Iphiseiodes zuluagai Denmark & Muma (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

“…Duração da fase larval de fêmeas maior que de machos, constatada neste trabalho, já foi observada para inúmeras espécies de ácaros. O tempo de duração total dos estágios imaturos de I. zuluagai foi cerca de um dia a mais do que aqueles obtidos para E. concordis por Moraes & Lima (1983) El-Banhawy (1975e 1979.…”

Effects of artificial and natural diets on the development and reproduction of two phytoseiid mites Amblyseius gossipi and Amblyseius swirskii (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

“…1965; El-Badry and El-Banhawy, 1968; Rasmy and El-Banhawy, 1975;NasrandEl-Banhawy, 1984; El-The phytoseiid mites, Amblyseius gossipi El-Badry Banhawy and Abou-Awad, 1984-1985Abou-Awad and A. swirskii Athias-Henroit are important andEl-Banhawy,1986;Abou-Awadetal.,1989).On predators of tetranychid and eriophyid mites on fruit the other hand, some other phytoseiid mites were not orchards in Egypt such as Tetranychus cinnabarinus successful on any tested artificial diets (Shehata and (Bios. ) and T. urticae (Koch) (El-Badry etal., 1968), Weismann, 1972Kennett and Hamai, 1980).…”

Phytophagous and predatory mites on olive trees in Tunisia. Catalogue, description of one new species and key for identification (Acari, Eriophyidae, Tetranychidae, Tenuipalpidae and Phytoseiidae)

“…This species is reported in Mediterranean basin and has been observed in vineyards (Minarro and Kreiter 2012). Phytoseius finitimus is a natural enemy of Panonychus ulmi (Koch) (Duso and Moretto 1994), and eriophyid mites: Aceria ficus (Rasmy and El-Banhawy 1974), it can also feed on pollen (Rasmy and El-Banhawy 1975).…”