Study on the Development and Reproduction of Amblyseius swirskii (Athias-Henriot) by Feeding the Different Plant Pollens

Purpose The aim of this study was to get a suitable rearing and propagation methods for Amblyseius swirskii.Method The development and reproduction ability of A.swirskii by feeding the pollen of oil rape, maize, cucumber, luffa, rose, eucalyptus, soya bean were evaluated in laboratory, using the cell culture plate.Results No significant difference was found for egg duration among the populations from all tested pollens(F=0.34, P0.05),significant differences were found for the developmental duration of the larval, 1st and 2nd larval mite,there was the shortest duration for the larval, the 1st and 2nd larval mite by feeding the eucalyptus pollen. As to the survival rate of A. swirskii feeding tested plant pollens, the longest survival rate was in the larval mite,and the shortest survival rate was in the egg, 1st and 2nd larval mite. There was no significant difference between the proportions of the female mite for those populations feeding different plant pollens, which with a proportion of 46.54%-56.45%. There were the higher net reproduction rate (R0),intrinsic increase rate (rm) and finite increase rate (), for A. swirskii feeding maize, cucumber and luffa pollen, more over with shorter population doubling time (t) and average generation duration (T), they were ranged between 5.39-5.60 days and 25.54-26.59 days. The population doubling time (t) and average generation duration (T) were longer by feeding eucalyptus pollen than other pollens, net reproductive rate (R0), intrinsic increase rate (rm) and finite increase rate () were all lower by feeding eucalyptus pollen than feeding other pollens.Conclusion Maize, cucumber and luffa pollen can be the suitable alternative prey for propagation for A. swirskii,but the eucalyptus pollen is not suitable for propagationfor A. swirskii.