Pollen Provisioning Enhances the Performance of Amblydromalus limonicus on an Unsuitable Prey

Abstract

Amblydromalus limonicus is a polyphagous phytoseiid predator used for the biological control of thrips and whiteflies in greenhouse crops. Besides various prey species, A. limonicus can also feed on pollen of different plants. Cattail pollen has been previously shown to be suitable for the development and reproduction of A. limonicus. Hence, it could sustain its populations in periods of prey scarcity. In the present study, we hypothesized that pollen provisioning may benefit A. limonicus in mixed diets with prey of low quality, such as spider mites and thus, positively impact ecosystem services provided by this predator. For this, the performance and predation efficiency of A. limonicus against spider mites was assessed in the presence or absence of pollen. Our results show that pollen significantly shortens the developmental time and increases the survival and oviposition of the predator when mixed with spider mites, although it negatively affects its predation rate. Nevertheless, pollen enhances the maintenance of juvenile predators on the leaf by substantially decreasing their dispersal rate in the mixed diet with spider mites. In addition, the intrinsic rate of population increase (r m) of A. limonicus feeding with spider mites increased with the addition of pollen suggesting an increase in its population. Cattail pollen as supplementary food may thus expand the prey species range that A. limonicus could exploit. It can also enhance ecosystem services provided against other pests (thrips and whiteflies) by positively affecting the increase of A. limonicus population.

Suitability of monotypic and mixed diets for development, population growth and predation capacity of Typhlodromus bagdasarjani (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

“…presence and early establishment as a standing army before the pest outbreak (Vangansbeke et al, 2016;Samaras et al, 2019). This study supports previous reports suggesting that generalist predatory mites have less power than specialized predatory mites such as Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot to overcome the dense web (Ragusa and Tsolakis, 2000;Lemos et al, 2010;Yano, 2012;McMurtry et al, 2013).…”

“…In other words, the lower rate of predation in the web presence than its absence suggests that this predator became entrapped within the webs of TSSM. This inability to move among dense web fibers proves the importance and role of the predator presence and early establishment as a standing army before the pest outbreak (Vangansbeke et al ., 2016; Samaras et al ., 2019). This study supports previous reports suggesting that generalist predatory mites have less power than specialized predatory mites such as Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot to overcome the dense web (Ragusa and Tsolakis, 2000; Lemos et al ., 2010; Yano, 2012; McMurtry et al ., 2013).…”

“…Therefore, some scientists have suggested methods that can increase the population of predators and protect them before the pest invasion. One of these methods is to provide supplemental foods or alternative diets for natural enemies (Van Rijn and Tanigoshi, 1999;Nomikou et al, 2010;Messelink et al, 2014;Leman and Messelink, 2015;Samaras et al, 2019). These foods can help predators overcome the period of lack or absence of the prey and have been shown to enhance biological control efficacy (Nomikou et al, 2003(Nomikou et al, , 2010.…”

“…They can search among different diets, select the food with high nutritional value, and feed more on it or they may specifically extract nutrients from a single food (Jones and Flynn, 2005; Behmer, 2009). A positive effect of diet mixing on phytoseiids' performance has been documented (Messelink et al ., 2008; Samaras et al ., 2019). Two groups of mixed diets have been studied in the previous investigations (Messelink et al ., 2008; Pappas et al ., 2013; Samaras et al ., 2019).…”

“…A positive effect of diet mixing on phytoseiids' performance has been documented (Messelink et al ., 2008; Samaras et al ., 2019). Two groups of mixed diets have been studied in the previous investigations (Messelink et al ., 2008; Pappas et al ., 2013; Samaras et al ., 2019). In the first group, a mixture of two or more prey species has been considered as a mixed diet, while a mixture of prey and non-prey food has been examined in the second group.…”