Prey consumption in acarine predator-prey populations reared in the greenhouse

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Two factors, in addition to temperature, could affect the assessment of Amblyseius fallacis as a natural enemy of Tetranychus urticae infesting alfalfa. These are initial prey density and sampling of the predator–prey populations during daylight hours. The influence of these factors was determined by propagating predator–prey populations having different initial prey densities on alfalfa in the greenhouse, recording the subsequent variation in the numbers of the two species during daylight hours, and comparing estimates of the rates at which prey entered and were removed from the populations. A. fallacis was able to reduce prey density before webbing of the alfalfa plants occurred. Prey consumption by the predator populations was judged capable of inducing the observed decline in prey numbers.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: