BIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON THE SOIL PREDATORY MITE OLOLAELPAS NASRI HASSAN (LAELAPIDAE: MESOSTIGMATA)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Plant Protection Research Institute, Agricultural Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt

2 Department of Agricultural Zoology and Nematology, Facultuly of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

Abstract

Effects of different diets and temperatures were studied. Results showed that Ololaelaps nasri fed, developed and oviposited successfully on 5 different diets. The soil nematode Rhabditis scan­ica was the most suitable diet, resulting in shortening the life cy­cle duration of female and male (9.3 and 8.9 days. respectively). Mean female fecundity was 47.8 and 30.9 eggs when fed on R scanica and Musca domestics larvae, respectively. Presence of R scanica alone or mixed with other food was responsible for the high rates of reproduction. Temperature of 25°C was the best for popula­tion increase. Female consumption was higher than males. Female life cycle duration averaged 13.8, 9.3 and 5.4 days at 20, 25 and 30°C, respectively. Fecundity and oviposition daily rate (47.8 eggs and 2.2 eggs / female / day) were the highest at 25°C, while alternating temperature reduced fecundity and development as well. Female life cycle prolonged by 75% and 60% and fecundity reduced to 60 and 79%, when alternating temperature regimes 10/ 20 and 15/20°C were used, respectively, compared with similar ob­tained values at 20°C Exposing eggs to alternating temperature every twelve hours 10/20°C increased gradually the incubation period and the mean time of hatchability decreased from 63.3 to 23.3% for the same ex­posure time. Absence of male resulted in production of only males with lowest fecundity (24.9 eggs / female) showing the importance of male presence once / five days or allover female longevity.

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