Impact of constant temperatures on population characteristics of Amblyseuis swirskii (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Abstract

Temperature can influence the developmental rate and reproductive potential of herbivorous insects and mites. Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot is an effective phytoseiid predator with a significant ability to repress pest populations. To better understand the effect of temperature on the performance of A. swirskii, we studied temperature-dependent population growth and reproductive potential of the predatory mite under six constant temperatures (20, 22, 25, 27, 30, and 32°C), providing 75 ± 5% RH and a photoperiod of 16 L: 8 D h. The average fecundity was 12.85, 18.24, 22.2, 27.24, 28.6, and 52.57 eggs/female at 20–32°C, respectively. The highest gross reproductive rate (GRR= 26.08 eggs/individual), net reproductive rate (R0= 22.51 eggs/individual), and intrinsic rate of increase (r= 0.174 day−1) were recorded at 27°C. The finite rate of increase (λ) and mean generation time (T) of A. swirskii were profoundly affected by temperature and varied from 1.101 to 1.190 day−1 and 10.85 to 19.09 days, respectively. Data obtained during this study indicated that 27°C is the best temperature for rearing this predatory mite. This study improves our findings of the temperature range to optimize the mass rearing of A. swirskii as an effective predatory mite.