Effect of Food and Temperature on The Biology of Typhlodrompis swirskii (Athias-Henriot) (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Abstract

The biology of Typhlodrompis swirskii (Athias-Henriot) fed on different associated phytophagous mites, insects andpollens was studied at 25o C. These were Eutetranychus orientalis (Klien) (immatures and adults), Cenopalpus pulcher(C. & F.) females, Panonychus ulmi (Koch) (females), Tetranychus urticae Koch (immatures and eggs), Tydeuscalifornicus (Banks) moving stages; whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (eggs and 1st & 2nd instar nymphs), the scaleinsects Chrysomphalus ficus Rilly and Coccus hesperidium (Linnaeus) (eggs and nymphs), the aphid Aphis durantaTheo (adults), date palm pollens Phoenix dactylifera L. and castor bean pollens Ricinus communis L. Amount ofconsumption, as well as the predation capacity were estimated. Mites and date palm pollens were more suitable thaninsects and castor bean pollens; also immatures of E. orientalis gave the shortest female life cycle (10.8 days) and thehighest female fecundity (38.0 eggs/♀). Feeding T. swirskii on E. orientalis immatures at 15, 20, 25, 28, 30, 32 and35oC, the developmental durations averaged 18.5, 14.3, 10.8, 9.0, 7.7, 6.8 and 6.1 days respectively. The intrinsic rateof natural increase (rm) and the net reproduction (Ro) represented the best values 0.269 and 26.48 respectively at 32oCthe mean generation time decreased with increasing temperature (10.971 days at 35oC).