TY  - JOUR
JF  - Acarologia
T1  - Predatory potential of Amblyseius rademacheri (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) as a biological control agent against thrips: A comparative study with A. swirskii
VL  - 66
IS  - Suppl
SP  - 183
EP  - 183
PY  - 2026
SN  - 0044-586X
SN  - 2107-7207
PB  - Les Amis d'Acarologia
AU  - Shogo, Usugi
AU  - Shingo, Toyoshima
AU  - Norihide, Hinomoto
UR  - https://doi.org/10.24349/zzi9-d2qr
DO  - 10.24349/zzi9-d2qr
DA  - 2026-07-20
ET  - 2026-07-20
KW  - Predatory mites
KW  - Biological control
KW  - Developmental period
KW  - Oviposition
KW  - Predation
AB  - This study investigates the predatory capacity of Amblyseius rademacheri (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) against thrips, particularly in comparison to A. swirskii. Amblyseius swirskii is a globally successful biological control agent (BCA) known for its high efficacy. However, its robust competitiveness against other predatory mites also poses a potential risk as an invasive alien species in non-native regions. Amblyseius rademacheri, which is widely distributed in the Palearctic region, is taxonomically and morphologically similar to A. swirskii. Despite these similarities and its widespread occurrence, research focusing on the practical application of A. rademacheri as a BCA has remained scarce. Amblyseius rademacheri possesses ecological traits comparable to those of A. swirskii. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the predatory capacity of A. rademacheri by comparing its consumption rates of major pests with those of A. swirskii. We specifically focused on two major thrips species: the western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis), which is effectively controlled by A. swirskii, and F. intonsa, a species against which A. swirskii is notably less effective and which has been rapidly expanding its distribution worldwide in recent years. Mated adult females of each predatory mite species, reared on Ephestia kuehniellaeggs, were used. Individual females were introduced onto Phaseolus vulgarisleaf squares (20 mm × 20 mm, placed abaxial surface up) containing 10 first-instar larvae of either thrips species. The experimental arenas were maintained in incubators at temperatures of 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 ± 1°C, with 50 ± 5% RH and a 16L:8D photoperiod. After 24 hours, the number of prey consumed was recorded Amblyseius rademacheriexhibited significantly higher predation rates on F. occidentaliscompared to those of A. swirskii across all tested temperatures except 35°C. Similarly, for F. intonsa, A. rademacheri showed significantly higher consumption rates at all temperatures except 25°C. These findings suggest that A. rademacheri is a highly promising BCA for the suppression of thrips populations, potentially offering a more effective or ecologically safer alternative to A. swirskii. Further studies will focus on evaluating its predatory performance against a broader range of pest species and under field conditions.
ER -