Notes on biology of Cheletominus congensis ( Cunliffe) when feed on different dites at different tempreatures

This work is conducted to study the effect the acarid mite, Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) and the free living nematodes, Rhabditis scanica Allegan as food at 25 and 35°C, an relative humidity 70% R.H. on the biological aspects of the predatory cheyletid mite Cheletominus congensis (Cunliffe). Egg, life cycle, longevity and life span of C. congensis that fed on free living nematodes had faster development compared to those fed on the acarid mite and the temperature 35°C induced a shorter periods, where 25°C resulted the longest periods. The longest incubation period took 6.2 days at 25°C, when the female fed on free living nematodes, but averaged 3.14 days (the shortest period) for male individuals when fed on the same diet at 35°C. Also, the food kind significantly influenced the predator life cycle as it averaged 19.85 and 19.71; 11.75 and 10.63 days when both females and males fed on T. putrescentiae at 25 and 35°C, respectively. This period lasted 20.0 and 19.17; 13.66 and 12.0 days when the mites fed on nematodes under the same conditions, respectively. The longevity of C. congensis significantly differed according to the mite sex, where it took 41.43 and 31.21; 28.82 and 21.64 days when the female and male fed at 25 and 35°C on T. putrescentiae, respectively, and averaged 43.33, 33.29; 31.26 and 23.88 days when the individuals fed on nematodes, respectively. Fecundity of C. congensis was the highest (96.8 eggs on free living nematodes at 25°C, while the lowest number was observed when the females fed on the acarid mite at 35°C (67.6 eggs). The predation capacity of C. congensis females and males was differed according to the temperature and stage of the introduced prey. During adulthood, female of C. congensis consumed greater numbers of T. putrescentiae than male. The numbers of prey consumed by the predator was significantly decreased by increasing the temperature for both sexes.