Acarologia (1999) 40, 367-371

Badawi A. Abou-Awad, Bahira M. El-Sawaf and Amira A. Abdel-Khalek (1999)
Impact of two eriophyoid fig mites, Aceria ficus and Rhyncaphytoptus ficifoliae, as prey on postembryonic development and oviposition rate of the predacious mite Amblyseius swirskii
Acarologia 40 (4), 367-371
Abstract: The predacious mite Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot completed its life-span when fed on individuals of the fig bud mite, Aceria ficus (Cotte), and the fig leaf mite, Rhyncaphytoptus ficifoliae Keifer. The development was quickest and the number of prey consumed was highest when individuals were maintained on A. ficus, compared with R. ficifoliae. The average number of eggs/female/day was 1.5 and 1.0 on fig bud and leaf mites, respectively. Life table parameters showed that A. swirskii preferred A. ficus to R. ficifoliae as prey. The population of the predator feeding on the fig bud and leaf mites multiplied 21 and 15 times in a generation time of 20 and 22 days, respectively. Under these conditions, the intrinsic rate of increase (rm) was 0.155 individuals/female/day on A. ficus and 0.122 individuals/female/day on R. ficifoliae.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution
environment/habitat manipulation

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Aceria ficus	Ficus (crop)	Egypt
	Rhyncaphytoptus ficifoliae	Ficus (crop)	Egypt
Amblyseius swirskii (predator)	Aceria ficus	Ficus (crop)	Egypt
Amblyseius swirskii (predator)	Rhyncaphytoptus ficifoliae	Ficus (crop)	Egypt