Comparative Study of Feeding on Some Pollens on Biology of Typhlodromus bagdasarjani Arutunjian & Wainstein (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

In this research, effect of feeding of five pollen sources, apple, pear, almond, apricot and walnut, as 5 treatments on the period of egg to adult, longevity and fecundity of the predatory mite, Typhlodromus bagdasarjani, was studied in a complete randomized design (CRD). Mites kept individually on black mulberry leaf discs at 24±2 °C temperature, 60±5 % relative humidity and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L:D) hours, with a sufficient quantity of the pollens. Results showed that T. bagdasarjani could develop and reproduce when the predatory mite feed on the all of diets. Thus, the pollens can be alternative foods for the mite. The mean of developmental time from egg to adult emergence varied between the treatments from 11.69 to 21.49 days for females and 11.70 to 20.07 days for males. The minimum mean of developmental time of females and males was on walnut, almond and apple pollens and the maximum mean of it was on pear pollen. The mean of longevity varied among the treatments from 17.45 to 31.26 days for the females and 18.23 to 31.44 days for the male insects. The maximum mean longevity was on apricot and almond pollens for females and it had maximum amount on apricot and walnut for males. The minimum mean of longevity of females and males was on pear pollen. Also the maximum means of daily and total fecundity (0.73 and 9.60 eggs/female) were on apple and walnut pollens. The minimum amount of these means was on pear pollen. According to these results, almond and walnut pollens were the most suitable diet for T. bagdasarjani as compared to the other pollens. Among diets, pear pollen had least desirability and nutritional value for the mite.