Long-term effects of cattail Typha latifolia pollen on development, reproduction, and predation capacity of Neoseiulus cucumeris, a predator of Tetranychus urticae

Authors: GRAVANDIAN, MOHAMMAD - Tarbiat Modares University; FATHIPOUR, YAGHOUB - Tarbiat Modares University; HAJIQANBAR, HAMIDREZA - Tarbiat Modares University; RIAHI, ELHAM - Tarbiat Modares University; Riddick, Eric

Submitted to: BioControl
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/10/2021
Publication Date: 4/9/2022
Citation: Gravandian, M., Fathipour, Y., Hajiqanbar, H., Riahi, E., Riddick, E.W. 2022. Long-term effects of cattail Typha latifolia pollen on development, reproduction, and predation capacity of Neoseiulus cucumeris, a predator of Tetranychus urticae. Biocontrol. 67:149-160. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-021-10116-4.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-021-10116-4

Interpretive Summary: One of the greatest challenges to continued growth of the biological control industry is the development of cost-effective diets to mass produce natural enemies (predators and parasitoids) to control plant pests (natural prey). Ongoing research is exploring the potential of using plant pollen-based diets to mass produce predatory mites. Pollen diets are considerably less expensive than natural prey diets. In this study, laboratory experiments tested the effects of cattail pollen on development, reproduction, and predation capacity of Neoseiulus cucumeris, a commercially available predatory mite, to control spider mites, e.g., Tetranychus urticae. Results indicated that cattail pollen supported the development and reproduction of Neoseiulus cucumeris for over 25 generations. Moreover, long-term rearing on cattail pollen did not reduce its predation capacity, i.e., its ability to capture, kill, and consume natural prey (Tetranychus urticae) in laboratory arenas. This study highlights the usefulness of cattail pollen as an inexpensive plant-based diet to support cost-effective mass production of Neoseiulus cucumeris. The results of this study should benefit the biological control industry.

Technical Abstract: The effects of cattail Typha latifolia L. pollen on development and reproduction of Neoseiulus cucumeris (Oudemans) was determined over 25 consecutive generations (G). The ability of N. cucumeris to locate, capture, and consume natural prey Tetranychus urticae (Koch) was assessed after the 10th generation (G10-switch) and the 20th generation (G20-switch). Results indicated that T. latifolia pollen had no effect on N. cucumeris development time between G1 and G25. N. cucumeris fecundity was significantly greater in the older than younger generations. Life table analysis revealed that net reproductive rate (R0) was significantly higher for N. cucumeris fed T. latifolia at G10. Feeding on T. latifolia from G1-G5 resulted in lower intrinsic (r) and finite (') rates of increase; feeding at G10 resulted in higher population growth rates. When switched to a diet of T. urticae, N. cucumeris immature development and fecundity were not significantly affected by generation. However, the values of r, gross reproductive rate (GRR), and ' were higher at the G20-switch than the G10-switch. Our results demonstrate that a diet of T. latifolia pollen supports N. cucumeris development and reproduction for 25 consecutive generations without reducing predation capacity. Typha latifolia pollen is a suitable diet for long-term rearing of N. cucumeris for augmentative biological control of tetranychid mites.