Some biological parameters of neoseiulus Californicus McGregor (Acari: Phytoseiidae)?in laboratory conditions

Development, fecundity and prey consumption of the Turkish strain of Neoseiulus californicus feeding on Tetranychus cinnabarinus were studied at different temperatures ( 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 oC ), in the laboratory at 65 ± 10 % RH and 16L : 8D. The total developmental time ( egg to adult ) also decreased linearly with increasing temperature ( y = 0.012x ? 0.093; R2 = 0.950 ). The developmental threshold obtained from regression analysis was estimated to be 7.8oC. Across all treatments, N. californicus required on average 83.3 DD to complete its development from egg to adult. The mean total and daily fecundity were highest at 25 oC and statistically different from that obtained at 20 and 30 oC. The net reproductive rate ( R0 ) was highest at 25 oC. The longest mean generation time ( T0 ) occurred at 20 oC and the shortest at 30 oC. While the highest intrinsic rate of increase ( rm ) for N. californicus was found at 25 oC, the lowest was obtained at 20 oC. The number of egg, larva, nymph and adult male stages of T. cinnabarinus eaten by N. californicus was significantly difference among prey densities. Regardless of prey density, eggs and larvae were consumed over nymphs and adult males. The functional response data of N. californicus fitted reasonably well to a type-II functional response of the Holling model. The number of eggs laid by a female fed with different stages of T. cinnabarinus was the highest when eggs were offered as prey.