Neoseiulus bicaudus (Wainstein) is a natural enemy of spider mite and thrip and also a potential biocontrol agent for Tetranychus turkestani (Tetranychidae). Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) is an important alternative prey of N. bicaudus for mass rearing. We aimed to determine whether previous long-term feeding history, rearing on alternative prey versus target prey affected the performance of N. bicaudus. Therefore, the prey preference and functional response of predatory mites were compared between three strains: N. bicaudus fed on T. turkestani (TTS); N. bicaudus fed on T. putrescentiae (TPS); and N. bicaudus re-adapted from T. putrescentiae to T. turkestani (TPRS). When fed with the target prey, the preference rate and consumption of the TPS strain were significantly lower than the TTS strain. In addition, after 3-day-re-adaptation, the predatory mites (TPRS) increased their preference rate and consumption to target prey. The results suggested that re-adaptation before release could improve the ability of N. bicaudus to control its target prey.
Prey are very important for the mass rearing of natural enemies and can affect the efficiency and quality of natural enemy products. Locomotion is important in dispersal of predatory mites on plants, and such activity is affected by body size and prey availability. The study evaluates the effects of prey (alternative prey: Tyrophagus putrescentiae Schrank and natural prey: Tetranychus turkestani Ugarov & Nikolskii) on the body size, locomotion and dispersal of the predatory mite Neoseiulus bicaudus Wainstein. When fed the alternative prey, the body size and locomotion of N. bicaudus were significantly lower than when fed the natural prey. However, the dispersal of N. bicaudus fed the two prey types was similar. The results suggest that long-term feeding on alternative prey could decrease the body size and locomotion of N. bicaudus. Nevertheless, the negative effects of alternative prey did not appear to affect the dispersal of N. bicaudus. The likely reason is that the type of prey does not affect the ability of the predatory mite to locate spider mites. In other words, when it fed alternative prey, N. bicaudus could still successfully disperse and locate spider mite-infested plants in the same way as when fed the natural prey.
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