The biology of the Australian phytoseiid mite Typhlodromips montdorensis is described from material collected in Queensland and South Australia in 1994−1996. At 25°C, when fed on cumbungi (Typha sp.) pollen, the life cycle was completed in approximately 7 days, with an intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm) of 0.32. Female−male pairs produced a mean total of 52.7 eggs within 28 days of oviposition. Females that were deprived of males after first mating stopped laying eggs after 7−19 days; however, if another male was added, they resumed egg laying and produced, on average, a total of 49.4 eggs. The sex ratio was 2.24 females to one male. At 25°C, fecundity on a diet of thrips larvae (first‐instar Frankliniella schultzei Trybom) was high, ranging from 2.72 to 3.58 eggs per day on the third day, depending on previous diet. Consumption rate of thrips was also high, with an average of 7.23−14.44 first‐instar larvae eaten per day on the third day, depending again on previous diet and also on number of thrips larvae made available. The species was also observed to feed on: (i) broad mite, Polyphago­tarsonemus latus (Banks); (ii) tomato russet mite, Aculops lycopersici (Massee); and (iii) two‐spotted mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch. No diapause was observed under conditions of 25°C, 8 h light and 10°C, 16 h dark. Eggs were sensitive to low humidity, with 50% failing to hatch below 70.8% relative humidity. This species is of interest as a candidate biological control agent for thrips, broad mite and tomato russet mite in protected crops.

The biology of the Australian phytoseiid mite Typhlodromalus lailae is described from material collected in Western Australia and New South Wales in 1994. At 25 ° C, when fed on cumbungi ( Typha sp.) pollen, the life cycle is completed in approximately 6 days, with an intrinsic rate of natural increase ( r m ), of 0.38. Female-male pairs produced a mean total of 44.6 eggs within 22 days of oviposition, with 39% of these females living in excess of 29 days. Females that were deprived of males after first mating stopped laying eggs after 4-9 days, but if another male was added they resumed egg laying and produced close to a full complement of eggs (mean 42 eggs). At 25 ° C, fecundity on a diet of cumbungi pollen or thrips larvae (first-instar Frankliniella schutzei Trybom) was high, averaging 3.71 and 3.33 eggs per day, respectively, over a 3-day period. The sex ratio was approximately 1.5 females to 1 male. Consumption rate of thrips was also high, with an average of approximately seven first-instar or two second-instar F. schultzei larvae eaten per day. The species was also observed to feed on broad mite, Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks), and tomato russet mite, Aculops lycopersici (Massee). No diapause was observed under conditions of 25 ° C 8 h light and 10 ° C 16 h dark. Eggs were sensitive to low humidity, with 50% failing to hatch below 71.1% relative humidity. This species is of interest as a candidate biological control agent for thrips, broad mite and tomato russet mite in protected crops.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract