The lacewing as a potential biological agent for controlling the red palm mite .

BACKGROUND

Compared to chemical control, the use of naturally occurring biological agents to control invasive pests is less threatening to the environment and human health.

OBJECTIVES

Here, we assessed the ability of immature stages of the lacewing (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) to prey upon different developmental stages of the red palm mite (Acari: Tenuipalpidae), one of the most destructive invasive pests of palm trees in Neotropical regions.

METHODS

Increasing densities of three stages of (eggs, immature stages, and adult females) were offered to in coconut leaf arenas. The immature stages of were less than 24 h old and were starved before being transferring to the arenas. The amount of prey consumed was recorded 6 h after releasing the .

RESULTS

Our results indicated that the ability of to feed upon increased with the larval development of the predator. Higher feeding levels and shorter handling times were recorded for the first and second instars of when preying upon the eggs and immature stages of Furthermore, individuals of different stages exhibited differential functional responses according to prey type (i.e., eggs, immatures, or adult females of ). second instar individuals exhibited a sigmoid increase in consumption rate with increasing prey availability (i.e., a type III functional response) when preying upon immature stages of . However, when preying upon adult females, second instar individuals exhibited a type II functional response (i.e., an increase in consumption rate with increasing prey availability, before reaching a plateau). Predator individuals of the first and third instar stages exhibited a type II functional response for all prey types.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, our findings demonstrate that , especially at the second instar stage, has potential as a tool for ecological management of the red palm mite.