Nutritional value of non-prey food sources for rearing of predatory mitesNeoseiuluscucumeris andAmblyseius swirskii (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Khanamani, Mostafa; Dalir, Sajjad

doi:10.22073/pja.v14i1.85955

Nutritional value of non-prey food sources for rearing of predatory mitesNeoseiuluscucumeris andAmblyseius swirskii (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mostafa Khanamani ¹

Sajjad Dalir ²

¹ Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jiroft, P.O.Box 1364 Kerman, Iran

² Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

10.22073/pja.v14i1.85955

Abstract

In this study, life table analysis was performed to evaluate the nutritional value of proso millet and saffron pollen grains as a dietary supplement for rearing and conservation of Neoseiulus cucumeris Oudemans and Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae). According to our results, developmental time did not differ between the two pollen diets for either predatory mite. Amblyseius swirskii completed immature development significantly faster than N. cucumeris on both pollen diets. Fecundity of both predator females, offered saffron pollen, was signiﬁcantly higher than that of females given proso millet pollen, however, N. cucumeris females had higher fecundity than A. swirskii females. Comparisons between two predators indicated that N. cucumeris females had a higher R₀, GRR, r, and λ than A. swirskii on saffron and proso millet pollen. There were no significant differences in intrinsic rate of increase (r) and finite rate of increase (λ) of N. cucumeris between the two pollen diets, although significantly higher values of r and λ were observed in A. swirskii reared on saffron pollen than those fed on proso millet pollen. This suggests that saffron and proso millet pollen could be a viable alternative food source for these predators, particularly during times when prey in the field is scarce or absent. Additionally, our results indicate that saffron pollen can be effectively used for mass rearing and/or conservation of these predatory mites in biological programs.

Keywords

Conservation

mass rearing

pollen

predatory mite

supplementary diet

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