Life tables and feeding habits of Proprioseiopsis cabonus, a specific predator of tydeid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae and Tydeidae)

Abstract

Biology, life table parameters and predation rates of the predatory mite Proprioseiopsis cabonus (Schicha and Elshafie) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) feeding on nymphs of Neoapolorryia aegyptiaca El Bagoury and Momen and Lorryia aegyptiaca (Rasmy and El Bagoury) (both Acari: Tydeidae), Ricinus communis L. (castor bean) pollen and Phoenix dactylifera L. (date palm) pollen were studied at 30 ± 1oC, 70 ± 5% RH and photoperiod of 16: 8 (L:D) hours. Total developmental time of P. cabonus females was 9.9 and 11.1 days on nymphs of N. aegyptiaca and L. aegyptiaca. Survival of immatures of P. cabonus was very low on both pollen grains and all failed to develop to adulthood. A total of 47.6 and 40.8 eggs per female, respectively, were obtained when P. cabonus was fed on nymphs of above tydeid mites. Life table parameters were estimated as net reproductive rate (Ro) 35.95 and 24.64, intrinsic rate of increase (rm) 0.213 and 0.174 days -1, finite rate of increase (λ) 1.236 and 1.190, mean generation time (T) 16.9 and 18.4 days and doubling time (DT) 3.2 and 3.9 days when the predator fed on nymphs of N. aegyptiaca and L. aegyptiaca. Average daily predation of P. cabonus females on N. aegyptiaca and L. aegyptiaca nymphs was 25.6 and 20.3.