Abstract
Biological traits of Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) bagdasarjani Wainstein & Arutunjan when exposed to the false spider mite, Cenopalpus irani Dosse (Tenuipalpidae), as a food source were determined at 27±1°C, with 16:8 h L: D, at an average daily relative air humidity of 60±10%. The developmental durations of egg, larva, protonymph, deutonymph stages and of all the juvenile phase (egg–adult) being 1.9±0.14, 0.9±0.05, 2.2±0.12, 2.5±0.12 and 7.6±0.18 days, respectively. Survivorship of the juvenile phase was 87%. Fecundity and daily oviposition rate was 33.8±2.60 eggs/female and 1.8 eggs/female/day, respectively. Oviposition period, adult longevity and total life span of females were 19.1±1.76, 36.8±1.88 and 44.3±1.84 days, respectively. The mean generation time (T), net reproductive rate (R0) and intrinsic rate of increase (rm) were 15.32±0.69 days, 14.38±1.11 female offspring and 0.174±0.005 day-1, respectively. Daily prey consumption rates by T. bagdasarjani protonymphs and deutonymphs were 6.0±0.21 and 5.1±0.17 prey individuals/day, respectively. Protonymphs and deutonymphs of T. bagdasarjani preferred the larval stages of C. irani to feed. The results of this study suggested that C. irani is a suitable prey for T. bagdasarjani, and that the predator might play a significant role in preventing that prey from reaching even higher population levels than it does on apple in western Iran.
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