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PREDATORY BEHAVIOR AND PREY-STAGE PREFERENCES OF STIGMAEID AND PHYTOSEIID MITES AND THEIR POTENTIAL COMPATIBILITY IN BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

David R. Clements  and
Rudolf Harmsen
David R. Clements
Affiliation:
Biology Department, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
Rudolf Harmsen
Affiliation:
Biology Department, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
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Abstract

Although the role of phytoseiid mites as predators of the European red mite, Panonychus ulmi (Koch), on apple is well established, the role of another family of European red mite predators, the stigmaeids, is not as clearly understood. We compared predatory behavior and prey-stage preferences of the stigmaeid Zetzellia mali (Ewing) and the phytoseiid Typhlodromus caudiglans (Schuster) in the laboratory. The only predator–predator interaction we found to be potentially important was consumption of phytoseiid eggs by stigmaeids. Given a choice of equal numbers of both European red mite eggs and phytoseiid eggs, Z. mali consumed 38% phytoseiid eggs. Eggs and quiescent larval stages of European red mite were preferred by Z. mali, but active larval stages also were consumed. By contrast T. caudiglans preferred active forms to quiescent forms and eggs, and was able to consume adult forms. Although Z. mali was found to be slower, less active, and less voracious than T. caudiglans, Z. mali produced more eggs for a given number of prey consumed than did T. caudiglans. These behavioral and prey-stage preference differences should enable phytoseiids and stigmaeids to be compatible in the short term (within one generation).

Résumé

Bien que le rôle des acariens phytoseiides prédateurs du trétranique rouge du pommier, Panonychus ulmi (Koch), est bien connu chez le pommier, le rôle d’une autre famille de prédateurs, les stigmaeides, n’est pas aussi bien compris. En conditions de laboratoire on a comparé le comportement de prédation de même que la préférences pour un stade de développement de leurs proies chez le stigmaeid Zetzellia mali (Ewing) et le phytoseiid Typhlodromus caudiglans (Schuster). La consommation des oeufs de phytoseiides par les stigmaeides est la seule interaction importante existante entre les prédateurs. Mis en présence d’un nombre égal d’oeufs du tétranique rouge du pommier et d’oeufs de phytoseiide, Z. mali a consommé 38% des oeufs de phytoseiides. Zetzellia mali a préféré les oeufs et les larves quiescentes du tétranique rouge du pommier mais les stades larvaires actifs ont aussi été consommés. A l’opposé, T. caudiglans a préféré les stades actifs aux oeufs et aux stades quiescents mais pouvait aussi consommer les adultes. Quoique plus lent, moins actif et moins vorace que T. caudiglans, Z. mali a produit plus d’oeufs pour un nombre donné de proies consommées comparativement à T. caudiglans. Ces différences de comportement et de préférences pour un stade donné de leur proie devraient permettre aux phytoseiides et aux stigmaeides d’être compatibles sur une courte période (à l’intérieur d’une génération).

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 122 , Issue 2 , April 1990 , pp. 321 - 328
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1990

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