Biological aspects and life table parameters of predator gamasid ascid mite, Blattisocius dentriticus (Berlese) (Acari:Gamasida: Ascidae)

The gamasid ascid mite, Blattisocius dentriticus (Berlese) (Gamasida: Ascidae) was reared at 30 + 2 °C and 80+ 5 % R.H. on four different foods (the acarid astigmatid mite, Rhizoglyphus robini (Claparede), two different fungi (Fusarium moniliforme, Botrytis allii) and larvae of Musca domesticate Linnaeus.
The main objective in this study was to examine the possibilities of using gamasid predator mite, B. dentriticus to fed on different foods. Also the obtained result clear that the lowest incubation period of B.dentreticus was noticed for resulted females and  males fed on immature of acarid bulb mite (1.3 & 0.95 days), but the longest period recorded when the female and male individuals fed on the fungus F. moniliforme (3.7 & 2.6 days). From the obtained data also, it could be observed that the duration of life cycle for both sexes was affected by the type of food employed. However, adult longevity of B .dentriticus was influenced by the kind of food employed for female, this period lasted (22.2, 36.8, 32.2 and 24.8) days when the individuals fed on aforementioned foods. These periods changed to (19.2, 30, 25.8 and 21.6 days) for males which fed on the tested foods, respectively. The current study indicated that immature of astigmatid mite, R. robini proved to be the most favorable food as it gave the highest reproduction rate (47.8 eggs). On the contrary, the fungus F. moniliforme resulted in the least number of deposited B.dentritucus eggs with an average of (26 eggs). During the total time (life span) of the predatory mite, B.dentreticus, the total number of the tested consumed prey was significantly differed. The number was (80.2 and119 prey) when the predatory mite males and females fed on  amixtures of acarid mite R. robini  , respectively. While the number of consumed preys was (77, 113.4 prey) when predatory mite fed on M.domesticae larvae, respectively. The calculated life table parameters were, Mean generation time (T) was (10.35, 26.81, 20.4 and14.85) days. The doubling time (DT) was (2.34, 0.0753, 5.23 and 3.483 times). Finite rate of increase (λ) e^rm was (1.34, 1.09, 1.14 and1.22) times/female/day. Gross reproductive rate (GRR) was (29.58, 12.45, 18.5 and 22.43) times/female/day. It could be generally concluded that immatures of bulb mite, R.robini was the most suitable food for the development and reproduction of predator gamasid mite,B.dentriticus.