Pest Management Science (2017) 73, 452-461

Mostafa Khanamani, Yaghoub Fathipour, Ali Asghar Talebi and Mohammad Mehrabadi (2017)
Linking pollen quality and performance of Neoseiulus californicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae) in two-spotted spider mite management programmes
Pest Management Science 73 (2), 452-461
Abstract:
BACKGROUND
It has been shown that pollen as a dietary supplement may increase the establishment of generalist predatory mites, and therefore pest control by these mites can be provided. Life table studies were performed to evaluate the nutritional value of seven different pollens (almond, castor-bean, date-palm, maize, bitter-orange, sunflower and mixed bee pollen) as a supplementary food source for the spider mite predator Neoseiulus californicus McGregor. In addition, the nutritional quality of each pollen species was assessed through morphological and chemical analysis.
RESULTS
Preadult duration was longer when the predator fed on castor-bean pollen (10.01 days) and bee pollen (9.94 days) compared with the others (5.58–7.27 days). The cohort reared on almond pollen had the highest intrinsic rate of increase (r) (0.231 day^-1), and those on mixed bee pollen had the lowest r (0.005 day^-1). The levels of nutritional content (sugar, lipid and protein) were significantly different among tested pollens.
CONCLUSIONS
Comparison of N. californicus life table parameters on different diets revealed that the almond pollen (and after that the maize pollen) was a more suitable diet than the others. These findings will be useful in developing appropriate strategies for conservation of N. californicus to control spider mites.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Yaghoub Fathipour, Mohammad Mehrabadi, Ali Asghar Talebi

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
rearing/culturing/mass production

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Tetranychus urticae		Iran
Neoseiulus californicus (predator)	Tetranychus urticae		Iran