Acaridida mites as a factor for mass production of predator mite, Amblyseius swirskii (Acari : Phytoseiidae)‎

Abstract EN

Development, life table parameters and mass production of the predatory mite, Amblyseius swirskii (Athias-Henriot) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) were assessed when reproduced on three different species of Acaridida mites, bulb mite, Rhizoglyphus robini (Claparede), acarid mite, Caloglyphus rhizoglyphoides (Zachvatkin) and the glycyphagid mite, Lepidoglyphus destructor (Schrank) (Acari: Acaridae), at 30±2º c and 65% relative humidity.

The potential of Acaridida mites for mass production of this economically important phytoseiid mite is agood and cheap method that reduce the cost of commercial production for A.

swirskii, and maintain large cultures of A.

swirskii that can be used in release programs for controlling many phytophagous mite pests on various agricultural crops.

A.

swirskii has agood appetite can eat up to 10-14 immature of acaridida mites.

Life cycle of A.

swirskii females averaged 10.25, 12, 78 and 13.9 days, respectively.

The net rate of natural increase (rm) was 0.186, 0.136 and 0.119 individual/female/day where as the finite rate of increase (er m) averaged 1.204, 1.15 and 1.12 individual/female/day, respectively.

The highest intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm) reached 0.186 when predator fed on bulb mite, R.

robini which considered the suitable prey for the predatory mite, A.

swirskii.

Whereas, lower (rm) value was 0.119 obtained when predator fed on glycyphagid mite, L.

destructor