Juvenile survival and development of Typhlodromips swirskii, Euseius scutalis and Typhlodromus athiasae (Acari: Phytoseiidae) feeding on con- and heterospecific immatures

Momen, F. M. and Abdel-Khalek, A. A. (2009) Juvenile survival and development of Typhlodromips swirskii, Euseius scutalis and Typhlodromus athiasae (Acari: Phytoseiidae) feeding on con- and heterospecific immatures. Acta Phytopathologica et Entomologica Hungarica, 44 (1). pp. 167-176. ISSN 0238-1249

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Abstract

Juvenile survival, predation and development in Typhlodromips swirskii (Athias-Henriot), Euseius scutalis (Athias-Henriot) and Typhlodromus athiasae Porath and Swirski feeding on con- and heterospecific phytoseiid immatures were investigated in the laboratory at 32 ± 2 °C and 70 ± 5% RH. Larvae of all phytoseiid studied do not feed at all to reach the subsequent life stage. More than 90% of T. swirskii and E. scutalis protonymphs preying on larvae of both heterospecific larvae reached the adult stage. The majority (approximately 98%) of T. athiasae protonymphs feeding on larvae of T. swirskii died before reaching the deutonymphal stage, while when preying on E. scutalis , all individuals reached to adulthood. The mean developmental time of T. swirskii from protonymphal stage to adulthood was 2.4 days when feeding on T athiasae and 2.2 days when feeding on E. scutalis . When protonymphs of E. scutalis feeding on larvae of T. swirskii or T. athiasae , completed juvenile development (mean developmental time 2.9 and 2.5 days, respectively).When protonymphs of T. swirskii and T. athiasae held without food, all survived approximately 3 to 4 days and then died before reaching to deutonymphal stage. Unfed immatures of E. scutalis lived longer than the corresponding stages of T. athiasae and T. swirskii (approximately 5 to 7 days). Immatures of T. swirskii and E. scutalis exhibited higher predation rates than T. athiasae when fed on heterospecific prey. Cannibalizing immatures of all 3 phytoseiid species were able to reach adulthood. The present study indicates that phytoseiid immatures are suitable prey for developing stages of polyphagous phytoseiids. Since E. scutalis, T. athiasae and T. swirskii inhabiting the same plant species, their immatures can be regarded as potential prey for competitive phytoseiids in times of food scarcity.

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