<p class="Body"><strong>Functional response of <em>Amblyseius andersoni </em>and <em>Neoseiulus neoreticuloides</em> (Acari: Phytoseiidae) to adults of the wolfberry gall mite <em>Aceria pallida </em>(Acari: Eriophyoidae)</strong></p>

Abstract

The gall mite, Aceria pallida Keifer (Acari: Eriophyoidae) is an economically important pest of wolfberry Lycium barbarum L. and can cause significant losses to plant production. Two species of phytoseiid predatory mites, Amblyseius andersoni Chant and Neoseiulus neoreticuloides Liang &amp; Hu were found on L. barbarum in Bayan Nur city, Inner Mongolia, China. We assessed the potential of these two phytoseiid species as biological control agents against A. pallida, using functional response experiments with seven prey densities (5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 adults of A. pallida) on a wolfberry leaf under 25ºC ± 1ºC, 60% ± 5% RH and a 16:8 h (L:D) photoperiod. Overall, the predation of both species increased with increase in prey density. The consumption of A. andersoni female was significantly greater than that of conspecific males and N. neoreticuloides female at high prey densities. Both phytoseiid species displayed a type II functional response to A. pallida. Female A. andersoni had a higher attack rate (5.961) and a shorter handling time (0.014 d) than male A. andersoni (1.619; 0.019 d) and female N. neoreticuloides (0.719; 0.023 d). The maximum attack rate (T/Th) was estimated to be 71.43 and 52.63 for female and male A. andersoni, respectively, while it was 43.48 for female N. neoreticuloides. Both female and male A. andersoni consistently consumed significantly more prey than N. neoreticuloides across all densities of A. pallida adults.

Field Releases of Neoseiulus barkeri: Effects on Megalurothrips usitatus Abundance and Arthropod Diversity

“…Effects of prey species on predator developmental duration are common in predatory mites and insects (Walzer et al 2004). In fact, C. lactis can serve as food for many predator mites, including Amblyseius andersoni (Chant) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) and Neoseiulus neoreticuloides (Liang et Hu) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) (Li et al, 2019;Fu et al, 2021). We found that N. barkeri could complete its growth and development on both C. lactis and M. usitatus, but it did so more rapidly when fed first instars of M. usitatus.…”

Effects of field releases of Neoseiulus barkeri on Megalurothrips usitatus abundance and arthropod diversity

“…Effects of prey species on predator developmental duration are common in predatory mites and insects 47 . In fact, C. lactis can serve as food for many predator mites, including Amblyseius andersoni (Chant) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) and Neoseiulus neoreticuloides (Liang et Hu) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) 15 , 48 . We found that N. barkeri could complete its growth and development on both C. lactis and M. usitatus , but it did so more rapidly when fed first instars of M. usitatus .…”

Functional response of two soil-dwelling predatory mites, Macrocheles mammifer (Berlese) (Acari: Macrochelidae), and Stratiolaelaps scimitus (Womersley) (Acari: Laelapidae), on thrips Megalurothrips usitatus (Bagnall) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

“…In a study conducted by Yao et al (2014), the predation of three predatory mites, N. cucumeris, N. barkeri, and E. nicholsi, was investigated, and it was found that all three species exhibited a type II functional response when preying on T. flavidulus. Phytoseiid species, Amblyseius andersoni (Chant) and Neoseiulus neoreticuloides (Liang & Hu), also exhibited a type II functional response to Aceria pallida Keifer (Eriophyidae) adults (Fu 2021). Similarly, Amblyseius cucumeris (Oudemans) (Phytoseiidae) was found to display a type II response when preying on F. occidentalis (Shipp and Whitfield 1991).…”