{"title":"Age-dependent mutual interference of Neoseiulus californicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae) on two-spotted spider mite.","authors":"Mahsa Nouri-Miri, Katayoon Kheradmand, Yaghoub Fathipour","doi":"10.1007/s10493-025-01022-w","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) is one of the main predators belonging to the family Phytoseiidae classified as a type II generalist predator that has been used to control greenhouse pests such as thrips, eriophyids, and spider mites. One of the significant ways to recognize the efficacy of the phytoseiid predatory mites is the study of their foraging behavior. Mutual interference is a negative relationship between a predator's searching efficiency and its density. This study appraised the effect of the age-dependent mutual interference of N. californicus on larvae and nymphs of Tetranychus urticae Koch under laboratory conditions at 25 ± 1℃, 70 ± 5% RH and a photoperiod of 16 L: 8D h. To determine the per capita searching efficiency and interference coefficient, Nicholson's model and linear regression were used, respectively. The results showed that the total predation of N. californicus reared on T. urticae nymphs was significantly affected by predator density and age. In addition, per capita searching efficiency of the predator significantly declined with predator density, which is the result of mutual interference. Furthermore, the slope of the linear regression (m) between the logarithm of per capita searching efficiency and the logarithm of the predator density increased, ranging from - 0.465 in 5-day-old individuals to -0.1452 in 40-day-old individuals. The negative effects of mutual interference decreased along with growing age. Our findings showed that in different tested ages, the rate of interference among adults differed compared to immature individuals. These results suggest that age-specific differences in mutual interference should be considered when optimizing the mass rearing and field release of predators for the biological control of T. urticae.</p>","PeriodicalId":12088,"journal":{"name":"Experimental and Applied Acarology","volume":"94 4","pages":"54"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Experimental and Applied Acarology","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-025-01022-w","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENTOMOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) is one of the main predators belonging to the family Phytoseiidae classified as a type II generalist predator that has been used to control greenhouse pests such as thrips, eriophyids, and spider mites. One of the significant ways to recognize the efficacy of the phytoseiid predatory mites is the study of their foraging behavior. Mutual interference is a negative relationship between a predator's searching efficiency and its density. This study appraised the effect of the age-dependent mutual interference of N. californicus on larvae and nymphs of Tetranychus urticae Koch under laboratory conditions at 25 ± 1℃, 70 ± 5% RH and a photoperiod of 16 L: 8D h. To determine the per capita searching efficiency and interference coefficient, Nicholson's model and linear regression were used, respectively. The results showed that the total predation of N. californicus reared on T. urticae nymphs was significantly affected by predator density and age. In addition, per capita searching efficiency of the predator significantly declined with predator density, which is the result of mutual interference. Furthermore, the slope of the linear regression (m) between the logarithm of per capita searching efficiency and the logarithm of the predator density increased, ranging from - 0.465 in 5-day-old individuals to -0.1452 in 40-day-old individuals. The negative effects of mutual interference decreased along with growing age. Our findings showed that in different tested ages, the rate of interference among adults differed compared to immature individuals. These results suggest that age-specific differences in mutual interference should be considered when optimizing the mass rearing and field release of predators for the biological control of T. urticae.
期刊介绍:
Experimental and Applied Acarology publishes peer-reviewed original papers describing advances in basic and applied research on mites and ticks. Coverage encompasses all Acari, including those of environmental, agricultural, medical and veterinary importance, and all the ways in which they interact with other organisms (plants, arthropods and other animals). The subject matter draws upon a wide variety of disciplines, including evolutionary biology, ecology, epidemiology, physiology, biochemistry, toxicology, immunology, genetics, molecular biology and pest management sciences.