Lab of Predatory Mites, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China.
Exp Appl Acarol. 2022 May;87(1):1-18. doi: 10.1007/s10493-022-00717-8. Epub 2022 Jun 2.
Neoseiulus californicus is an important biological control agent of small arthropod pests, widely used in preventive releases at low prey densities. Therefore, it is important to study reproductive investment of this species, both females and males, under environmental pressure of limited prey availability. Laboratory experiments were performed to investigate N. californicus male reproductive investment after short-time fasting or long-term starvation. When fasted for 36 h, males are still able to complete a single mating with no significant change in reproductive parameters of its mate. But the total mating duration became 24% longer, especially timing for the male to fill the first spermatheca of its mate increased by 35%. If daily food availability was less than 20% of demand, males were still able to mate until the end of life, but their fertility reduced after ca. the seventh mating. Mating of some males at the end of their lives are invalid, with their mates failing to oviposit. Overall, we summarized that reproductive investment demand for a single mating was low in N. californicus males, but its priority in energy allocation was high. When starved, males tried to guarantee their mating capability, but their fertility decreased gradually.
加州新小绥螨是一种重要的小型节肢动物害虫的生物防治剂，广泛用于在猎物密度较低的情况下进行预防性释放。因此，研究这种物种在有限猎物供应的环境压力下的雌性和雄性的生殖投资是很重要的。实验室实验研究了加州新小绥螨雄性在短期禁食或长期饥饿下的生殖投资。雄性禁食 36 小时后仍能完成单次交配，其配偶的生殖参数没有明显变化。但总交配持续时间延长了 24%，特别是雄性填满配偶第一个精囊的时间增加了 35%。如果每日食物供应量低于需求的 20%，雄性仍能交配直到生命结束，但它们的生育能力在大约第七次交配后降低。一些雄性在生命结束时的交配是无效的，它们的配偶无法产卵。总的来说，我们总结出加州新小绥螨雄性单次交配的生殖投资需求较低，但它们在能量分配上的优先级较高。当饥饿时，雄性试图保证其交配能力，但它们的生育能力逐渐下降。
