Functional and numerical responses of the predator Amblyseius swirskii to its prey Tetranychus turkestani in the laboratory

The tetranychid Tetranychus turkestani Ugarov and Nikolskii is a serious pest of many important crops around the world. Management T. by augmentative biological control using predators such as phytoseiid Amblyseius swirskii (Athias-Henriot) envisioned an environmentally safe alternative to acaricides. Foundational knowledge on – A. interactions in laboratory are necessary predict outcome releases field. In this study, functional numerical responses adult females feeding immature stages were determined laboratory. Prey densities 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, or 128 individuals per Petri dish arena. response prey showed Holling's type II response. attack rate handling time estimates from random predator equation 0.1148/h 0.3146 h, respectively, indicating that consumed 76.28 day at maximum level. number eggs laid predator, i.e., response, increased host density up 33.10 female; then oviposition leveled-off. This study suggests suitable candidate for but follow-up experiments greenhouses open fields necessary.