No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

The laelapid mites Cosmolaelaps keni and Laelaspis astronomicus beside the rhodacarid mite Protogamasellopsis denticus are biological control agents and being native predators in Egypt. In order to raise active population of above species, the biology and demographic parameters, of the three tested species were observed under laboratory conditions with eggs of Ephestia kuhniella. All predatory species were developed and reproduced with E. kuhniella eggs. The mean developmental and oviposistion periods of L. astronomicus females were the longest from the other tested species. The mean longevity of C. keni was longer than that of P. denticus. Cosmolaelaps keni consumed more E. kuhniella eggs during the oviposition and adult longevity periods than other species did. Protogamasellopsis denticus fed on E. kuhniella food gave the most rate of oviposition as shown by the maximum fertility, net reproductive rate and gross reproductive rate. Laelaspis astronomicus preying on E. kuhniella eggs gave the longest generation time, lowest rate of fecundity and all life table parameters compared to other tested species; therefore E. kuhniella eggs was appropriate for the oviposition of P. denticus and C. keni rather than L. astronomicus.This study is the first to report that E. kuhniella eggs were an acceptable factitious food for P. denticus, L. astronomicus and C. keni.

No abstract

No abstract

Development, survival and reproduction of the generalist predatory mites, Amblyseius largoensis (Muma), Neoseiulus barkeri (Hughes), Typhlodromips swirskii (Athias-Henriot), Proprioseiopsis kadii (El-Halawany and Abdel-Samad) and Cydnosus negevi (Swirski and Amitai) were assessed when fed on eggs of Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) (Diptera: Tephritidae) as a factitious food. For N. barkeri and P. kadii, the development was faster, while the reproduction was higher in N. barkeri and A. largoensis than for P. kadii. Survival of immatures of T. swirskii and C. negevi was low on eggs of B. zonata and all failed to develop beyond the protonymphal stage.A total of 35.4, 31.2 and 19.6 eggs per female, respectively, were obtained when N. barkeri, A. largoensis and P. kadii were fed B. zonata eggs. A diet of the peach fruit fly eggs provided the longest female longevity and highest mean total fecundity, which resulted in the highest net reproductive rate (Ro=34.61 and 32.78) and doubling time (DT=1.53 and 1.60) for N. barkeri and A. largoensis, respectively.