Both heat stress and prey species affect Amblyseius orientalis performance

Abstract

Abstract Both temperature and prey closely impact the fitness and predation of natural enemies during biological control. Amblyseius orientalis (Ehara) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is a native and effective predatory mite against spider mites and small sucking insects in many kinds of orchards and greenhouses, where high temperatures always occur during hot summer. However, the effects of heat stress and prey species on the fitness and predatory efficiency of A. orientalis have not been well understood. In current study, we selected two preys of Tetranychus urticae and Bemisia tabaci and two temperatures of 25℃ and 33℃ to explore the performances of A. orientalis under four combination treatments. The results showed that both temperature and prey significantly affect A. orientalis fitness. In detail, A. orientalis had the longest developmental duration of 7.63 days when feeding B. tabaci at 25℃, while the shortest development period was found in the group fed on T. urticae at 33℃. Heat stress and B. tabaci significantly decreased A. orientalis fecundity. High temperature significantly reduced the life span of A. orientalis, however, the longevity of A. orientalis feeding on T. urticae were significantly longer than those feeding on B. tabaci, regardless of temperature. Thus, our study assessing A. orientalis performances under different conditions can provide better biological control reference against pest mite and insect by native predatory mites in the fields.