Effects of Different Diets on Biological Characteristics of Predatory Mite Amblyseius Eharai (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

SIMPLE SUMMARY: In this study, we investigated the effects of different diets on the development and reproduction of Amblyseius eharai (Amitai and Swirskii) (Acari: Phytoseiidae), a predatory mite used for biological control. The results show that feeding on Panonychus citri (McGregor) (Acari: Tetranychidae) resulted in the fastest life cycle completion time, the longest oviposition period, and the highest number of eggs laid per day. Feeding on Tetranychus urticae (Koch) (Acari: Tetranychidae) and pollen resulted in similar life cycle completion times, while feeding on Artemia cysts and an artificial diet resulted in longer life cycle completion times and shorter oviposition periods. These findings provide insights into the optimization of the diets of A. eharai for effective use for biological control. ABSTRACT: In this study, we investigated the effects of different diets on the development and reproduction of the predatory mite Amblyseius eharai. The results show that feeding on citrus red mite (Panonychus citri) led to the fastest life cycle completion (6.9 ± 0.22 days), the longest oviposition period (26.19 ± 0.46 days), the greatest female longevity (42.03 ± 0.43 days), and the highest total number of eggs per female (45.63 ± 0.94 eggs). Feeding on Artemia fanciscana cysts resulted in the highest oviposition rate (1.98 ± 0.04 eggs), a high total number of eggs per female (33.93 ± 0.36 eggs), and the highest intrinsic rate of increase (r(m) = 0.242). The hatching rate did not differ significantly among the five types of food, and the proportion of females ranged from 60% to 65% across all diets.