تأثیر حشره‌کش گیاهی Maria-Pro بر ظرفیت شکارگری کنه شکارگر Amblyseius swirskii روی کنه تارتن دولکه ای

Amblyseius swirskii (Athias-Henriot) is considered as a generalist predator that consumes small pests, pollen and honeydew and has attracted lots of interests due to biological control programs of mites, thrips and whiteflies in greenhouses. Before implementing a control program that integrates plant essential oils and predatory mites, it is essential to examine their interactions, considering the predation capacity of the biological control agent. This study examined the effects of three concentrations (1, 2, and 3 g a.i. L⁻¹) of the botanical insecticide Maria-Pro on the predation capacity of Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot under controlled laboratory conditions at 25 ± 1ºC, 65 ± 5% RH, and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L:D) h. The predation rate of A. swirskii on its natural prey, Tetranychus urticae Koch, was determined and predation parameters were calculated accordingly. The net predation rate (C0) values for the control and the concentrations of 1, 2, and 3 were recorded as 539.59, 476.53, 505.93, and 521.21 prey, respectively. However, no significant differences were observed among these values. Statistical comparison of the data for finite predation rates (ω) and stable predation rate (ψ) indicated that there were no statistically significant differences among the values of these two parameters across the different treatments. The results of this study demonstrated that sublethal concentrations of the botanical insecticide Maria-Pro did not have adverse effects on the predation capacity of the predatory mite A. swirskii, indicating its safety for this predator.