Effectiveness of factitious foods and artificial substrate in mass rearing and conservation of Neoseiulus californicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Abstract

ABSTRACT The use of factitious food instead of natural prey, and artificial substrates instead of leaf-based, could be important steps towards reducing natural enemies̓ rearing costs. Nutritional values of four factitious foods comprising Ephestia eggs, decapsulated Artemia cysts, mould mite immature individuals, and Aspergillus hyphae as alternative food sources for Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) were determined under laboratory conditions. In addition, suitability of artificial (plastic sheet) and leaf-based substrates for rearing of the predator was assessed. The duration of egg to adult developmental time was shorter when the predator fed on the mould mite compared with the other diets. Artemia cysts and Aspergillus hyphae were not suitable diets. The individuals reared on the mould mite had the highest fecundity and intrinsic rate of increase (r). Due to weak mouthpart of the immature predator in feeding of factitious foods, most of them died in immature stages, or their fecundity in adult stage was low. In a separate experiment, almond pollen was also used in addition to factitious foods for rearing of immature stages of the predator. The adult stage of these individuals had the ability to feed and oviposit on the factitious foods, and female longevity and fecundity of these individuals were higher on E. kuehniella egg (and after that on mould mite) than the others. In addition, the results indicated that the rearing performance of the predator fed on the same diet was higher on the artificial substrate than the leaf-based one. The potential of alternative foods and artificial substrates for mass production and conservation of N. californicus is a suitable and cheap method.