Typhlodromips swirskii(Acari: Phytoseiidae) a predator of eriophyid and tetranychid mango mites in Egypt

The predacious mite Typhlodromips swirskii (Athias-Henriot) completed its life-span when fed on the motile stages of the mango bud mite Aceria mangiferae Sayed, the mango rust mite Metaculus mangiferae (Attiah), the leaf coating mite Cisaberoptus kenyae Keifer and nymphs of mango red mite Oligonychus mangiferus (Rahman and Sabra) in the laboratory at different temperatures and relative humidities. The increase of different temperatures and decrease relative humidities from 25°C and 60% to 30°C and 55% and 35°C and 50% shortened development and increased reproduction and prey consumption. Life table parameters indicated that feeding T. swirskii on A. mangiferae led to the highest reproduction rate (rm = 0.216 females/female/day), while feeding on O. mangiferus gave the lowest reproduction rate (rm= 0.183) at 35°C and 50% R. H. Different prey species of eriophyid mango mites, especially A. mangiferae , have a high nutritional value for T. swirskii , as a facultative predator, than the tetranychid mango mite.