Food Habits of Phytoseiidae (Acarina: Mesostigmata) Including Common Species on Florida Citrus

Abstract

Food habits of 11 species of phytoseiids found on or associated with Florida citrus trees were investigated with the following results. Data on Amblyseiella setosa Muma were inconclusive; Amblyseius aerialis (Muma) proved to be a general predator of tetranychids, tenuipalpids, and probably other families of mites; Amblyseius deleoni Muma and Denmark fed adequately and optimally on acarids, eriophyids and tetranychids, and predictably on other families; Euseius hibisci (Chant) fed adequately on coccid eggs and crawlers, aleurodid eggs and nymphs, and tetranychids; Galendromus (Galendromus) floridanus (Muma) proved to be an obligate predator of tetranychids; Iphiseiodes quadripilis (Banks) proved to be a general facultative predator capable of surviving on non-living organic materials; Phytoscutus sexpilis Muma fed optimally only on acarids but possibly survives on other hosts; data on Proprioseiopsis dorsatus (Muma) were inconclusive; Typhlodromalus peregrinus (Muma) proved to be a general facultative predator capable of surviving on fungi and nonliving organic materials; data on Typhlodromina subtropica Muma and Denmark were inconclusive; Typhlodromips simplicissimus (DeLeon) fed optimally on tetranychids but other phytophagus and non-phytophagus mites are probably adequate as food. Collation and correlation of the above findings with previously published work has indicated generic food habits for several genera of phytoseiids. Amblydromella spp. are probably facultative eriophyid and tetranychid predatos. Amblyseius spp. are probably general predators. Anthoseius spp. seem to be pollenophagus. Euseius spp. are pollenophagus, facultative, general predators. Galendromus spp. of the typical subgenus seem to be obligate tetranychid-eriophyid predators; inadequate data are available on species of other subgenera. Iphiseiodes spp. are probably facultative general predators. Macroseius spp. are obligate nematodeanoetid predators. Mesoseiulus spp. seem to be obligate tetranychid predators. Orientiseius spp. are probably obligate predators of eriophyids and tetranychids. Paraseiulus spp. possibly are tydeid predators. Phytoscutus spp. are probably acarid predators. Phytoseiulus spp. are obligate predators of tetranychids that may survive on other mites and insects. Typhlodromalus spp. are facultative general predators. Typhlodromips spp. are facultative general predators. Typhlodromus spp. are probably facultative eriophyid or tetranychid predators. Data on 5 other cited genera are inconclusive.