Potential of Amblyseius cucumeris (Acari: Phytoseiidae) as a biocontrol agent against <i>Schizotetranychus nanjingensis</i> (Acari: Tetranychidae) in Fujian, China

Abstract

The predatory mite Amblyseius cucumeris (Oudemans) was studied in the laboratory to evaluate its potential as a biocontrol agent against the spider mite Schizotetranychus nanjingensis Ma & Yuan, a pest of the moso bamboo in Fujian, China. When fed S. nanjingensis females and eggs, the life cycle of A. cucumeris (developmental time from egg to egg 7.7 days for the first generation and 7.8 days for the second generation) was as long as its life cycle on its normal diet in the laboratory, Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) (7.8 days) at 27-28 o C. Adult females of A. cucumeris started to lay eggs at the age of 3 days with a daily rate of 1-4 eggs (average of 2.2) over a period of 7-18 days and a total fecundity of 35.8 (14-47) eggs. The number of prey consumed by predators increased with prey density and the number of eggs produced was directly correlated with the number of prey consumed. Female predators consumed twice as many female spider mites as did male and deutonymph predators (6 versus 3 per day at 9 prey per leaf). A. cucumeris females were unable to invade intact webnests of S. nanjingensis but were able to invade and liked to stay and lay eggs in broken nests with existing openings or holes.

Predators induce egg retention in prey

“…Egg retention as a response to the presence of the predator Based on data from the literature (De Courcy Williams et al 2004;Zhang et al 2000), we estimated the developmental time of eggs of N. cucumeris at 25°C to be in the range of 58-72 h. When eggs are retained, they are older at oviposition, and if embryonic development proceeds in the retained eggs, they are expected to hatch earlier than eggs that followed a normal development. Because females lay only 2-3 eggs per day, detection of egg retention using individual females is potentially hampered by low statistical power.…”

Management strategies for western flower thrips in vegetable greenhouses in Iran: a review

“…The "Black Pearl" (Capsicum annum L.) can be used as a banker plant for these bugs (Cloyd 2009). The predatory mites Amblyseius cucumeris (Oudemans) and Amblyseius barkeri (Hughes) (Phytoseiidae: Acari) are two biocontrol agents widely used for the control of thrips species and phytophagous mites on ornamental and field crops (Gillespie 1989;Zhang et al 2000). During winter, A. cucumeris females enter the reproductive diapause so the presence of a non-diapausing thrips predator is needed to improve biological control (Houten et al 1995).…”

Responses to stimuli from Schizotetranychus nanjingensis on bamboo leaves by two predatory mite species (Acari: Tetranychidae, Phytoseiidae)

“…Studies on the predation of A. longispinosus, A. cucumeris and T. bambusae on S. nanjingensis were published elsewhere (Zhang et al 1999b,c;Zhang et al 2000b). Zhang et al (2000b) observed that A. cucumeris can invade web-nests of S. nanjingensis that have openings and prefers to lay its eggs inside these nests.…”

“…Studies on the predation of A. longispinosus, A. cucumeris and T. bambusae on S. nanjingensis were published elsewhere (Zhang et al 1999b,c;Zhang et al 2000b). Zhang et al (2000b) observed that A. cucumeris can invade web-nests of S. nanjingensis that have openings and prefers to lay its eggs inside these nests. Zhang et al (2000a) examined the arrestment response of A. longispinosus to stimuli from S. nanjingensis on bamboo leaves and showed that this predator can respond to stimuli from web-nests of S. nanjingensis.…”

“…The web-nest may function as a shelter in which all spider mites live and feed on leaf tissue (Zhang et al 1999a). The intact webbing of S. nanjingensis is also effective in preventing the invasion by non-specialist predators such as A. longispinosus (Zhang et al 1999c) and A. cucumeris (Zhang et al 2000b), although it could not prevent the attacks of the specialized predator of S. nanjingensis, T. bambusae Ehara, which is adapted to the web-nests of S nanjingensis (Y.-X. Zhang, unpublished data).…”