The potential of spiders of different taxa and a predacious mite to feed on the carmine spider mite — a laboratory study

Abstract

Four spider species and the predacious mitePhytoseiulus persimilis (Athias-Henriot) were examined in the laboratory for their capacity to feed on the carmine spider mite,Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval). The adult females ofChiracanthium mildei L. Koch showed the highest capacity for feeding onT. cinnabarinus (27.5 mites/day) and differed significantly from all other spider species, including the immatureC. mildei which consumed an average of 18.9 mites/day — nearly equal to that of the Oxyopidae species (16.8 mites/day). The salticid (10.1 mites/day) and theridiid (9.5 mites/day) spider species had the lowest capacity, which was nearly equal to that of the predacious miteP. persimilis (11.3 mites/day). Results indicate that spiders play an important role as mite predators.