STUDY ON THE BIOLOGY OF PREDATORY MITE, NEOSEIULUS longispinosus Evans FEEDING ON TETRANYCHUS URTICAE KOCH

Abstract: The biological parameters of Neoseiulus longispinosus feeding on Tetranychus urticae were examined at the IPM lab of Entomology Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur following leaf disc method during March - April 2022 at 25±20C and 55±5% RH. Results revealed that the average incubation period for eggs were 2.37 days, whereas larval, protonymphal and deutonymphal average periods for male and female were 0.64 and 0.73days, 0.85 and 1.02 days, and 1.03 and 1.13 days, respectively. The total developmental period from egg to adult of predatory mite was 4.79 days for female and 4.09 days for male. Pre oviposition, oviposition and post oviposition periods were 2.25±0.06, 11.04±0.47 and 2.41±0.12 days, respectively. Morphometric measurement indicated that a gradual increase of female in size from larva to adult were larger than male. On an average female longevity was 14.74 days and male longevity was 18.12 days. Female averagely laid on 27.13±1.49 eggs in its life span when reared on T. urticae under laboratory conditions. 

Keywords: Two spotted red spider mite, taro, protonymph, deutonymph, adult, longevity, fecundity, morphometric measurement.