تاثیر مکمل‌های غذایی جانوری بر عملکرد کنه شکارگر Amblyseius swirskii از طریق بهبود کیفیت طعمهTyrophagus putrescentiae

The predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot is known as an efficient biological control agent to control a wide range of pests. The ability of this mite to multiply on factitious prey is a great advantage in its mass rearing. The quality of the factitious pry, which is affected by supplementary diets, affects not only the duration of the different life stages of the predatory mite, but also its biological performance. In this study, the effect of two animal-based food supplements including egg white and red meat powder on the predatory mite performance by improving the quality of the factitious prey Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) compared to its basic diet (flour and wheat bran) under standard laboratory conditions (25◦C ± 1, 65 ± 5% RH, and a photoperiod of 16L: 8D h.). The findings of this research showed that although the presence of supplements did not cause a significant difference in the adult longevity, these supplements significantly affected the pre-adult period in which this period in prey enriched with egg white was significantly reduced compared to the basic diet. In addition, the results showed an increase in the oviposition period (egg white powder 18.62, red meat powder 18.85±0.98, and basic diet 12.28 days) and the net reproductive rate (egg white powder 9.65, red meat powder 9.63, and basal diet 8.34 eggs/individual) in the predators that fed on enriched diet. Since feeding the predatory mite with the enhanced prey has a favorable effect on the performance of the predator, these diets can be considered as a suitable diet for mass production of A. swirskii.