Abstract:
The life history and predation rate were determined
for all stages of female and male of
Phytoseiulus persimilis
Athias-Henriot fed on the eggs of
Tetranychus urticae
Koch
˗
˗˗
˗
as the
preferred prey-stage
˗
˗˗
˗
on rose (cv ‘blarodje’) leaf discs under laborator
y conditions at
25±1°C, 75±5% RH, and 16 L: 8 D hour photoperiod. Ac
cording to the age-stage, two-sex
life table model, the intrinsic rate of increase (r
), finite rate of increase (
λ
), net
Reproductive rate (R
0
), Gross Reproductive Rate (GRR), and mean generati
on Time (T)
were 0.296 d
-1
, 1.345 d
-1
, 33.48 offspring, 53.87 offspring and 11.83 d, res
pectively.
Moreover, average number of
T. urticae
eggs consumed by different stages/sexes of
P.
persimilis
was calculated based on the age-stage, two-sex lif
e table model and indicated
that the consumption rates increased from nymph to
adult in both sexes. Also, our results
showed that females consumed prey eggs 11 times mor
e than males. The net predation
rate (C
0
) and transformation rate from prey population to p
redator offspring (Q
p
) were
363.54 mite eggs and 10.86, respectively. The resul
ts showed that
P. persimilis
can
successfully survive and reproduce on
T. urticae
eggs on rose.
Keywords:
Consumption rate, Intrinsic rate of increase, Life
history, Predatory mite, Two-
spotted spider mite.
