Artificial diet for the paddy wolf spiders Pardosa pseudoannulata: Survival, Development, and Implications for mass rearing

Spiders play a vital role in biological control within agricultural ecosystems. However, mass rearing of spiders for biocontrol is hindered by the lack of nutritionally complete artificial diets. This study evaluated the survival, development, and growth of the paddy wolf spider Pardosa pseudoannulata, reared on a pure artificial diet. The diet was formulated primarily from chicken eggs, honey, yeast powder, and supplemented with essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs; arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acid). Results were compared to spiders fed fruit flies or, for development and size, to field-collected individuals (using literature data and concurrent sampling). Due to extremely mortality (>97 %, primarily molting failure) in the fruit fly group, comparisons were limited mainly to survival and early instars. The artificial diet significantly promoted survival compared to fruit flies, likely aided by PUFA inclusion. However, notable mortality (∼29 %) occurred due to entrapment caused by the diet’s high viscosity. Compared to field spiders, individuals on the artificial diet exhibited slower development and smaller adult body size, with the size reduction being more pronounced in females. Females also developed slower than males on the artificial diet. These findings highlight the necessity of nutrient diversity in artificial diets to improve mass rearing efficiency and advance sustainable biocontrol strategies.