Comparison of the phytoseiid mites Amblyseius swirskii and Amblydromalus limonicus for biological control of chilli thri
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Comparison of the phytoseiid mites Amblyseius swirskii and Amblydromalus limonicus for biological control of chilli thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) Erich N. Schoeller1 · Cindy L. McKenzie2 · Lance S. Osborne1 Received: 12 March 2020 / Accepted: 1 October 2020 © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Abstract The chilli thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood, is a recently established pest in the USA and poses a serious risk to many economically important ornamental and food crops. In this study the biological control potential of the phytoseiid mites Amblydromalus limonicus (Garman and McGregor) and Amblyseius swirskii (Athias-Henriot) was compared by examining their predation and oviposition rates when fed different developmental stages of S. dorsalis. Gravid females were offered 10 individuals of either first instar, second instar, or adult S. dorsalis using a no-choice leaf disc bioassay and oviposition and predation rates were assessed daily for 2 and 3 days, respectively. There was no significant difference in predation and oviposition rates between mite species fed specific S. dorsalis life stages. There was, however, a significant effect of S. dorsalis life stage on the oviposition and predation rates observed for each mite species. The larval stage was the most preferred stage for both mite species, with A. swirskii consuming 4.6–6.3 and A. limonicus 4.8–6.4 individuals/day compared to only 1.6–1.7 adults/day consumed by both species. Female A. swirskii and A. limonicus laid 0.55–0.75 and 0.73 eggs/day on the two larval stages, respectively, compared to only 0.25–0.30 eggs/day observed for individuals feeding on adults. Although the results showed that the biological control potential of both mite species was similar, having an additional predator available that may be as effective as A. swirskii, a proven control agent against S. dorsalis in the field, warrants additional research into its potential utility. Keywords Thrips · Biological control · Phytoseiidae
* Erich N. Schoeller [email protected] 1
Mid‑Florida Research and Education Center, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, IFAS, Apopka, FL 32703, USA
2
US Horticultural Research Laboratory, ARS-USDA, Fort Pierce, FL 34945, USA
13
Vol.:(0123456789)
Experimental and Applied Acarology
Introduction The chilli thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), is an invasive pest represented by a cryptic species complex (Dickey et al. 2015) native to East and Southeast Asia that has become established in areas representing a broad global distribution (Seal et al. 2006; Kumar et al. 2013). By 2010 in the USA, S. dorsalis had become well-established in Florida and Texas (Silagyi and Dixon 2006) and recent interceptions suggest there is a risk of S. dorsalis gaining a foothold in Alabama, California, Georgia, Louisiana, and New York (Diffie and Srinivasan 2010; Kumar et al. 2011; Dickey et al. 2015). In Florida where S. dorsalis has been most studied, it has been shown to be highly polyp
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