Life Cycle and Intrinsic Rate of Natural Increase of the Predatory Mite Neoseiulus longispinosus Evans (Acari: Phytoseiidae) Rearing on Different Foods

Abstract

    The experiment on influences of different foods on the life cycle and the intrinsic rates of natural increase of the predatory mite Neoseiulus longispinosus Evans was conducted at the laboratory of the Center for Citrus Research and Development, Chuong My district, Hanoi city. The natural foods were six common phytophagous mite species on bean, tea and citruses. They were two spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae; carmine spider mite, Tetranychus cinnabarinus; red spider mite on tea, Oligonychus coffeae; Citrus spider mite, Panonychus citri; Scarlet mite

Brevipalpus sp., and citrus rust mite, Phyllocoptruta oleivora. The factitious foods were two stored product mites: Carpoglyphus lactis and Tyrophagus putrescentiae and pollen of Typha latifolia. The results showed that, at 27.5±1^oC, 80±5% RH, the predatory mite N. longispinosus developed well on the natural foods, meanwhile the life cycle of the predatory mite was not completed on two stored product mites species and on the pollen, they only developed to the protonymph stage. The life cycle of the predatory mite N. longispinosus rearing on T. urticae, T.cinnabarinus, P. citri, O. coffeae, Brevipalpus sp., and P.oleivora was 6.65 days, 6.56 days, 6,59 days, 7.41 days,. 7.47 days and 7.26 days, respectively. Correspondingly, the intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm) of the predatory mite Vòng đời và tỷ lệ tăng tự nhiên của loài nhện nhỏ bắt mồi Neoseiulus longispinosus Evans (Acari: Phytoseiidae) trên các loại thức ăn  was 0.2997, 0.2966 and 0.2980 when reared on T. urticae, T. cinnabarinus and P. citri, respectively, significantly higher than rearing on O. coffeae ( 0.244), Brevipalpus sp. (0.199) and P. oleivora (0.239).