Life table and predation rate of Typhlodromus bagdasarjani (Acari: Phytoseiidae) fed on Eotetranychus frosti (Tetranychidae) on apple leaves

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe life history and predation rate of Typhlodromus bagdasarjani Wainstein & Arutunjan feeding on nymphal stage of Eotetranychus frosti (McGregor) (Tetranychidae) were determined at 25 ± 1°C, 60 ± 10% relative humidity (RH), and a photoperiod of 16:8 h (light:dark) on apple leaves. Typhlodromus bagdasarjani successfully completed development, oviposition, and survival on this prey. The developmental durations of egg, larva, protonymph, deutonymph, and all immature stages were 2.27, 1.08, 2.31, 2.19, and 7.85 days for females, respectively. The adult longevity in females and males were 49.58 and 33.77 days, respectively, also females laid a total of 40.81 eggs on E. frosti. The net reproductive rate (R0), intrinsic rates of increase (r), and finite rate of increase (λ) were 17.68 female offspring, 0.158, and 1.171 day−1, respectively. The predation rates of pre-adult and adult on E. frosti were 24.35 and 452.48 prey for females and 16.50 and 104.59 for males, respectively. Also, the predation rate increased from pre-oviposition to oviposition periods and reduced in the post-oviposition phase. The net predation rate (C0) and transformation rate (Qp) of T. bagdasarjani were 252.08 and 14.26 preys, respectively. Our findings suggest that T. bagdasarjani can successfully complete its life cycle on E. frosti and have excellent potential for biological control agent of this pest species.