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Artificial and factitious foods support the development and reproduction of the predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii

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Abstract

The generalist predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae) was reared on Ephestia kuehniella Zeller eggs (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), decapsulated dry cysts of the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana Kellogg (Anostraca: Artemiidae), and on meridic artificial diets (composed of honey, sucrose, tryptone, yeast extract, and egg yolk) supplemented with pupal hemolymph of the Chinese oak silkworm Antheraea pernyi (Guérin-Méneville) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) (AD1), with E. kuehniella eggs (AD2) or with A. franciscana cysts (AD3). Development, reproduction and predation capacity of the predatory mites were assessed in the first (G1) and sixth generation (G6) of rearing on the different diets. Immature survival rates in G1 were similar on all diets (96.8–100 %). After six generations, however, survival of A. swirskii was significantly reduced on all diets except on A. franciscana cysts. Oviposition rates did not differ between generations when females were fed on E. kuehniella, AD2 or AD3. The total number of deposited eggs was similar among diets except in G6 where the females fed on A. franciscana cysts produced more eggs than those maintained on E. kuehniella eggs. On most diets the intrinsic rates of increase in G1 were superior to those in G6, except for predators supplied with A. franciscana cysts where no differences were observed among generations. Female mites did not lose their capacity to kill first instar Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) after six generations on the different diets, but predation rates in G6 on E. kuehniella were lower than in G1. In conclusion, the different factitious and artificial diets tested in the present study supported the development and reproduction of A. swirskii for a single generation but fitness losses occurred to a varying degree after several generations on E. kuehniella eggs or the artificial diets. Artificial diet enriched with A. franciscana cysts yielded better results than the other artificial diets. Amblyseius swirskii performed best on decapsulated Artemia cysts indicating their potential for use in the mass production of the predator or to sustain its populations in the crop after release.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Koppert B.V., Biobest N.V. and the Guangdong Entomological Institute, China for support and for providing materials used in our experiments. The constructive comments from three anonymous reviewers are greatly appreciated. Nguyen Duc Tung is supported by a doctoral grant from the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training (MOETVIED).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Crop Protection, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Duc Tung Nguyen, Dominiek Vangansbeke & Patrick De Clercq

  2. Hanoi University of Agriculture, Trau Quy, Gia Lam, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Duc Tung Nguyen

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  1. Duc Tung Nguyen
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  2. Dominiek Vangansbeke
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  3. Patrick De Clercq
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Correspondence to Patrick De Clercq.

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Nguyen, D.T., Vangansbeke, D. & De Clercq, P. Artificial and factitious foods support the development and reproduction of the predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii . Exp Appl Acarol 62, 181–194 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-013-9749-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-013-9749-8

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