Behavioral characteristics such as aggressiveness and predation preference of the phytoseiid predatory species, Amblyseius swirskii, Neoseiulus californicus and Phytoseiulus persimilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) were investigated when applied together. We quantified the chance and time of a successful attack to a heterospecific larva as aggressiveness of adult females. In order to the determine the predation preference of adult females equal combination of con/heterospecific larvae were presented to as prey in absence of their main prey (Tetranychus urticae Koch) for 24 h. Experiments were carried out in growth chamber at 25±1 ºC, 65±5% RH and 16:8 (L: D) hour photoperiod regimens. The results showed that adult females of N. californicus needed 39.65±7.46 min. to attack and kill the larva of P. persimilis which was remarkably less than that recorded (227.80±28.38 min.) for adult females of P. persimilis to attack and kill N. californicus larva. N. californicus was estimated more aggressive than P. persimilis. The mean estimated attack time of A. swirskii and P. persimilis was estimated 18.55±2.89 and 201.70±25.42 min., respectively. A. swirskii was considered more aggressive than P. persimilis against heterospecific larvae. The predation preference index (Manly´s β) were indicated that N. californicus was able to recognize con/heterospecific larva, resulted more preference for heterospecific larvae (P. persimilis) in absence of T. urticae, while adult P. persimilis showed no preference (between con and heterospecific larva). Manly´s β, for A. swirskii was 0.706 and 0.294, for P. persimilis 0.369 and 0.630 on hetero and conspecific larvae, respectively. Results of this study showed that, A. swirskii and N. californicus are general predators were able to roecgnize con/heterospecific larva and preferred to feed on heterospecific larvae and get benefit from intraguild predation.
A Modular Cage System Design for Continuous Medium to Large ScaleIn VivoRearing of Predatory Mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae)