Prey stage preference, mutual interference and switching of Amblyseius swirskii (Acari: Phytoseiidae) on Eotetranychus frosti (Acari: Tetranychidae) and Cenopalpus irani (Acari: Tenuipalpidae)
2020
Bazgir, Fereshteh | Shakarami, Jahanshir | Jafari, Shahriar
Prey stage preference, mutual interference, and switching of Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot on Eotetranychus frosti (McGregor) (Tetranychidae) and Cenopalpus irani Dosse (Tenuipalpidae) were evaluated under laboratory conditions on apple leaves. The results of no-choice experiments on the two prey revealed that the predator A. swirskii consumed significantly more eggs than other prey stages. The predator consumed about 46% and 57% of the initial density of eggs of E. frosti and C. irani, respectively. In choice experiments the mean consumption rate of A. swirskii females significantly differed among each of the pests’ life stages. The negative value of the interference coefficient in the mutual interference analysis showed an inverse relationship between the predator density and per capita searching efficiency. The prey preference by predator was not dependent on the relative abundance of prey, as it did not switch from of E. frosti when it became rare to another prey which was more abundant except for the ratio 20E. frosti:60C. irani. The results of this study revealed that A. swirskii could be utilized as an effective predator in the integrated management of E. frosti and C. irani; particularly, its heavy preference for E. frosti could play a considerable role in control of it.
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