A Simple and Low Cost Method for Mass Production of the Predatory Mite Phytoseiulus persimilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Abstract

Usually, the predator mite Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias - Henriot is commercially reared on living plants. Since this method has some disadvantage and occupy wide area, a new method is developed based on rearing the predatory mite in controlled room under optimum temperature and humidity. Highly infested bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L., leaves were plucked and provided to the predator culture. The predator culture was maintained in a plastic boxes and isolated carefully. A computer model was designed to assess the required daily leaflets. Thereafter, predators were collected purely and simply via aspiratory apparatus from the edge of the boxes and counted according to their weight. Almost 162,000 predator individuals were harvested within 4 weeks from five boxes occupied 1 m long shelf. A reasonable rate of increase of 1.26 individual per individual per day, was recorded in current study.