The predaceous mite Neoseiulus californicus is one of the major biological control agents of tetranychids in greenhouses of several countries. The two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae is one of the main pests affecting rose (Rosa spp.) cultures in Brazil. Chemical methods are used for its control, causing a significant environmental impact. Thus, this work aimed to study the predatory potential of N. californicus as an agent of biological control of T. urticae on roses. For the predatory capacity studies, 40 T. urticae mites /arenas of Jack bean leaves (Canavalia ensiformis) were offered to one specimen of each life stage of N. californicus. The adult females were the most efficient in preying upon immature stages, followed by nymphs. For the functional and numerical responses, adult females of N. californicus were confined to arenas made of Jack-bean leaves, and offered immature stages of T. urticae at the following densities: 0

This study evaluated the predatory capacity of Euseius alatus (DeLeon) as a biological control agent of the pest mite Oligonychus ilicis (McGregor) on coffee leaves under laboratory conditions, using arenas containing 25 O. ilicis per coffee (Coffea arabica) leaf to one specimen of each stage of the predator mite. The functional response and oviposition rate of adult females of E. alatus were evaluated on coffee leaf arenas and offered from 1 to 125 immature stages of O. ilicis per arena. The number of preys killed and the number of eggs laid by the predator were evaluated every 24 h during 8 days. The preys consumed were daily replaced. Male and female adults of E. alatus were the most efficient in killing all developmental stages of O. ilicis. Larvae and nymphs of O. ilicis were the most consumed by all stages of the predatory mite. The functional response and oviposition rates of E. alatus increased as the prey density increased, with a positive and highly significant correlation. Regression analysis suggested a type II functional response, with a maximum predation of 22 O. ilicis/arena and a maximum oviposition rate of 1.7 eggs/day at a density of 70 O. ilicis/arena.

Successful biological control requires detailed knowledge about the mass rearing conditions of the control agents in order to ensure higher quality of field-released insects. Thus, we investigated whether rearing fluctuating thermal condition would affect the fitness and costs of the parasitoid wasp Telenomus podisi Ashmead (a biocontrol agent used for controlling the Neotropical brown stink bug Euschistus heros (Fabricius)) when compared with parasitoid reared at constant temperature condition, which is commonly used in insect facilities. Parasitoids were reared under either constant (continuous exposure at 25 ± 2°C) or fluctuating temperature conditions (i.e., 30 ± 2°C during day and 20 ± 2°C at night) during four consecutive generations. Our results indicated that tested fluctuating temperature is more suitable for rearing of T. podisi as such temperature condition not only resulted in fitness benefits (e.g., shorter developmental time, longer female longevity, higher fecundity/fertility) but also reduced (approximately 23.5%) the estimated costs for producing the parasitoids. Furthermore, rearing T. podisi under fluctuating temperatures improved tolerance to low constant temperatures (i.e., 20°C) without changing the tolerance to constant high temperatures (30°C) in the fourth generation. Surprisingly, even parasitoids that developed under fluctuating thermal conditions performed better than those reared at constant temperature of 25°C. Collectively, our findings suggest that T. podisi reared under fluctuating thermal condition can tolerate better fluctuating temperatures that normally occur both during long periods of transport and in agricultural ecosystems, which will increase the quality and productivity of massreared T. podisi for inundative releases.

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Plants under herbivore attack often respond defensively by mounting chemical and physical defences. However, some herbivores can manipulate plant defences to their own benefit by suppressing the expression of induced defences. These herbivoreinduced changes specific to the attacking herbivore can either facilitate or impede the colonization and establishment of a second herbivore. Although recent studies have focused on the effect of multiple herbivory on plant induced response and the third trophic level, few have examined the ecological relevance of multiple herbivores sharing the host. Here, we investigated whether herbivory by the white mealybug Planococcus minor (Maskell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) or the red spider mite Olygonychus ilicis (McGregor) (Acari: Tetranychidae), two herbivores that peak in coffee plantations during the dry season, may facilitate the colonization and establishment of the other species in coffee plants. Dual-choice arena tests showed that white mealybugs preferred mite-infested over uninfested coffee plants as hosts. Fifteen days after the release of 50 first-instar P. minor nymphs, greater numbers of nymphs and adults were found on mite-infested than uninfested plants, indicating superior performance on mite-infested plants. On the other hand, female red spider mites did not show clear preference between uninfested and mealybug-infested plants and deposited similar numbers of eggs on both treatments. In a no-choice test, red spider mites performed poorly on mealybug-infested plants with a smaller number of eggs, nymphs, females and males found in mealybug-infested plants relative to uninfested plants. Thus, our results indicate that coffee plants are more likely to be infested by the red spider mite before white mealybug, rather than the inverse sequence (i.e. mealybug infestation followed by red spider mites). Our findings are discussed in the context of plant manipulation reported for pseudococcid mealybugs and spider mites. K E Y W O R D S multiple herbivory, plant resistance, preference-performance hypothesis S U PP O RTI N G I N FO R M ATI O N Additional supporting information may be found online in the Supporting Information section at the end of the article. How to cite this article: Peñaflor MFGV, Andrade FM, Sales L, Silveira EC, Santa-Cecília LVC. Interactions between white mealybugs and red spider mites sequentially colonizing coffee plants. J Appl Entomol. 2019;143:957-963. https ://doi.

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