Qassim University, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Department of Plant Production and Protection, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia.
Al Azhar University, Faculty of Agriculture, Agricultural Zoology and Nematology Department, Cairo, Egypt.
Braz J Biol. 2022 Jan 7;82:e255753. doi: 10.1590/1519-6984.255753. eCollection 2022.
The leaf miner, Tuta absoluta is continue to be a serious threat to solanaceous plants, especially tomato plant worldwide. Tomato crop in Saudi Arabia has been recently affected by T. absoluta, which is difficult to control due to its unique biological features, such as high fecundity and its potential to develop resistance to chemical pesticides. In this article, the suitability and effectiveness of the predatory mite, Neoseiulus cucumeris (Oudemans) (Acari: Phytoseiidae), an indigenous species usually found in tomato greenhouses of northcentral Saudi Arabia, has been evaluated on eggs and 1st instar larvae of T. absoluta in the laboratory. All experiments were conducted in an incubator at three constant temperatures of 22, 27 and 32°C ± 1°C, 50 ± 4% R.H. and L12:D12 h photoperiod. Adult females and males of N. cucumeris were able to feed and sustain oviposition on eggs and 1st instar larvae of T. absoluta, and could be an effective biocontrol agent against T. absoluta. The N. cucumeris had a clear preference for eggs compared to 1st instar larvae of T. absoluta. The results showed the obvious effect of the temperature on the consumption rate of the predatory mite. The maximum daily consumption rate occurred during the oviposition period, when the females of the predatory mite consumed an average of 4.26 eggs and 2.44 1st instar larvae of T. absoluta. In general, total fecundity was high with T. absoluta eggs as a food source when temperature increased from 22 to 32°C. The highest fecundity rate (42.92 and 20.97 eggs /female) was recorded at 32°C, while the lowest one (26.77 and 10.12 eggs / female) was recorded at 22°C, when N. cucumeris female fed on eggs and 1st instar larvae of T. absoluta, respectively. The results of this study indicated that the predatory mite, N. cucumeris can be considered a promising potential candidate for controlling the leaf miner T. absoluta, and further research is required to assess its effectiveness under greenhouse conditions.
潜叶蛾，烟粉虱，继续是严重威胁茄科植物，特别是番茄植物在世界各地。番茄作物在沙特阿拉伯已最近受到 T. 绝对，这是很难控制的，由于其独特的生物学特性，如高繁殖力和它有潜力发展对化学农药的抗性。在这篇文章中，捕食螨，智利小植绥螨（Oudemans）（蜱螨目：植绥螨科），一种通常在沙特阿拉伯中北部的番茄温室中发现的本土物种，对 T. 绝对的卵和 1 龄幼虫的适宜性和有效性进行了评估。所有实验均在恒温孵育箱中进行，温度分别为 22、27 和 32°C ± 1°C、50 ± 4% RH 和 L12:D12 h 光周期。智利小植绥螨的成年雌、雄螨能够取食并持续产卵于 T. 绝对的卵和 1 龄幼虫上，并且可以成为 T. 绝对的有效生物防治剂。智利小植绥螨明显偏爱卵而不是 T. 绝对的 1 龄幼虫。结果表明，温度对捕食螨的取食率有明显影响。在产卵期间，当捕食螨的雌螨平均消耗 4.26 个卵和 2.44 个 T. 绝对的 1 龄幼虫时，最大日取食率发生。一般来说，当温度从 22°C 升高到 32°C 时，以 T. 绝对的卵为食源，总繁殖力很高。在 32°C 时记录到最高的繁殖率（42.92 和 20.97 个卵/雌），而在 22°C 时记录到最低的繁殖率（26.77 和 10.12 个卵/雌），当智利小植绥螨的雌螨分别取食 T. 绝对的卵和 1 龄幼虫时。本研究结果表明，捕食螨，智利小植绥螨可以被认为是控制潜叶蛾 T. 绝对的有前途的潜在候选者，需要进一步研究评估其在温室条件下的有效性。
