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22 November 2019 The effect of con/heterospecific diet on predation, oviposition and longevity of Amblyseius swirskii, Neoseiulus californicus and Phytoseiulus persimilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae)
Somayeh Haghani, Azadeh Zahedi-Golpayegani, Alireza Saboori, Hossein Allahyari
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Intraguild predation (IGP) consists of interacting individuals with context dependent roles that compete for food. Information about the predator trophic interactions i.e. cannibalism or feeding on heterospecific juveniles, is a key to understand the real impact of their combinations when introduced in biological control systems. The hypothesis here, assumed that the pairwise introduction of the female predatory mites, N. californicus (predator) + P. persimilis (heterospecific prey) and vice versa, A. swirskii (predator) + P. persimilis (heterospecific prey) and vice versa could exist in the Tetranychus urticae (main prey) scarcity. Three diets consisted of either conspecific or heterospecific six eggs, four eggs + four larvae and four protonymphs were introduced to the guilds. The predation and oviposition rates and the longevity of each female intraguild predator on detached bean leaf disc was recorded every three hours for 12 consecutive days. Neoseiulus californicus predation rate was estimated to be highest on conspecific eggs + larvae (11.35 ± 1.12) and so was on those of P. persimilis (55.7 ± 3.42). No significant difference was observed in N. californicus oviposition rate on three conspecific diets (P > 0.05), while its oviposition rate was highest on P. persimilis eggs + larvae (7.15 ± 0.80). Phytoseiulus persimilis predation rate was estimated to be highest on eggs + larvae both on N. californicus and P. persimilis as prey. Its oviposition rate was estimated to be highest when feeding on conspecific eggs (2.25 ± 0.19) and N. californicus eggs + larvae. Amblyseius swirskii fed on 45 ± 2.79 P. persimilis and 12.90 ± 1.51 A. swirskii eggs + larvae, which was significantly higher than predation rates on other stages (P < 0.01). Amblyseius swirskii oviposition rate was not significantly different on each of the three diets or on A. swirskii or P. persimilis as prey (P > 0.05). The oviposition rate of P. persimilis was the highest on A. swirskii eggs + larvae (1.45 ± 0.19). When N. californicus fed on each of the three diet types, no significant difference was observed in its longevity. The greatest longevity of P. persimilis was recorded when feeding on N. californicus/P. persimilis eggs. Longevity of A. swirskii was the greatest on P. persimilis eggs and protonymphs. Similarly, P. persimilis had the greatest longevity feeding on A. swirskii eggs. We concluded that the predator species were capable of surviving under conditions of scarce prey when heterospecific species are present.

© Systematic & Applied Acarology Society
Somayeh Haghani, Azadeh Zahedi-Golpayegani, Alireza Saboori, and Hossein Allahyari "The effect of con/heterospecific diet on predation, oviposition and longevity of Amblyseius swirskii, Neoseiulus californicus and Phytoseiulus persimilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae)," Systematic and Applied Acarology 24(11), 2240-2252, (22 November 2019). https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.24.11.14
Received: 9 May 2019; Accepted: 20 July 2019; Published: 22 November 2019
KEYWORDS
biological control
cannibalism
competition
intraguild predation
Mesostigmata
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