Life table parameters and capture success ratio studies of Typhlodromips swirskii (Acari: Phytoseiidae) to the factitious prey Suidasia medanensis (Acari: Suidasidae).

Abstract

The predatory mite Typhlodromips swirskii (Athias-Henriot) is commonly used to suppress pest populations of thrips and whitefly in commercial greenhouses. Many generalist phytoseiid mites can be reared on astigmatid factitious prey. This study investigated the life table parameters of T. swirskii to the astigmatid mite Suidasia medanensis (Oudemans) and the capture success ratio of T. swirskii to different life stages of the prey. Juvenile development time and survival was 5.01 ± 0.10 days and 93 %, respectively. The intrinsic (r m ) and finite (λ) rates of increase were 0.222 and 1.249, respectively, with average oviposition rate of 1.71 ± 0.07 eggs/female/day. The capture success ratio of T. swirskii to S. medanensis was: eggs > freeze killed adults > nymphs > live adults. Typhlodromips swirskii was concluded to exhibit good population growth rates with S. medanensis as prey and, a prey population with predominance of eggs and nymphs to be advantageous to the predator due to an unidentified defence mechanism of adult prey.