Abstract
BackgroundThe predatory mites, Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor), N. barkeri (Hughes), and Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot, are important predators attacking many insect and mite pests. They can coexist in the same habitat and engage in intraguild predation (IGP).Main bodyIGP was assessed among the exotic one N. californicus and the native species N. barkeri and A. swirskii as Intraguild predator (IG-predator)/intraguild prey (IG-prey) in either absence or presence of extra-guild prey Tetranychus urticae Koch (EG-prey). In the laboratory, the physiological parameters, longevity, fecundity, and predation rate of these predatory mites’ females, fed on EG-prey, were evaluated, where phytoseiid larvae are considered as (IG-prey) or combined IG-prey with EG-prey. All predatory species consumed larval stages of each other’s, but in case of N. californicus, females failed to sustain oviposition on N. barkeri larvae. Also, it was noticed that N. californicus females killed 3 times more A. swirskii larvae than N. barkeri larvae, whereas A. swirskii consumed more N. californicus than N. barkeri larvae, respectively. Neoseiulus californicus lived longer on T. urticae and A. swirskii larvae than on N. barkeri, while the latter survived longer on T. urticae only than on the other prey or with combinations with T. urticae. Amblyseius swirskii lived shorter when fed exclusively on T. urticae or IG-prey than on EG-prey combined with IG-prey. In choice experiments, N. californicus showed a higher preference to consume more T. urticae than any of phytoseiid larvae. The comparison between T. urticae and IG-prey diets definite the higher influence of T. urticae on the fecundity in N. californicus and N. barkeri than on IG-prey, whereas in A. swirskii fecundity was as equal on T. urticae as on IG-prey N. californicus larvae.ConclusionA. swirskii seemed to be the strongest IG-predator.
Highlights
The predatory mites, Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor), N. barkeri (Hughes), and Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot, are important predators attacking many insect and mite pests
The mean ovipositional period of N. californicus females fed on combined diets (10 T. urticae + 10 N. barkeri) performed shorter than those fed only on A. swirskii or T. urticae combined with other intraguild prey (IG-prey)
The present study proved that predation rates of the 3 tested predator species were bidirectional in absence or presence of T. urticae as extra-guild prey Tetranychus urticae Koch (EG-prey)
Summary
The predatory mites, Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor), N. barkeri (Hughes), and Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot, are important predators attacking many insect and mite pests. They can coexist in the same habitat and engage in intraguild predation (IGP). All predatory species consumed larval stages of each other’s, but in case of N. californicus, females failed to sustain oviposition on N. barkeri larvae. Amblyseius swirskii had higher predation rates on heterospecific prey Typhlodromus athiasae Porth and Swirski and Eusieus scutalis (AthiasHenriot) than on conspecific prey and all females failed to predate on eggs and protonymphs of its own (Momen and Abdel-Khalek 2009b). These factors included predator aggressiveness, activity, and habitat characteristics (Walzer et al 2004)
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