Predation Rate and Prey Preference of Cydonia occidentalis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) on Different Spider Mite Species

Abstract

Cydonia occidentalis Oudemans (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is a generalist predatory mite of recognized biocontrol relevance within integrated pest management programs targeting phytophagous spider mite complexes (Acari: Tetranychidae) across diverse agricultural and horticultural production systems, exhibiting broad prey acceptance, active foraging behavior, and reproductive flexibility that collectively confer competitive advantages over specialist predators under conditions of fluctuating prey availability and mixed-species infestation dynamics. Despite the practical significance of predation efficiency and prey preference as determinant parameters governing the biological control efficacy and ecological host range of phytoseiid predators deployed against polyphagous tetranychid pest complexes, a quantitative comparative assessment of C. occidentalis predatory performance across multiple co-occurring spider mite prey species under standardized laboratory conditions remains insufficiently documented, constraining evidence-based decision-making regarding predator selection and release strategies in integrated mite management programs. This study evaluated the predation rate and prey preference of C. occidentalis across a panel of economically significant spider mite species including Tetranychus urticae Koch, Panonychus ulmi Koch, Panonychus citri McGregor, and Oligonychus punicae Hirst under controlled laboratory conditions at standardized temperature, relative humidity, and photoperiod regimes. Daily predation rates of adult female C. occidentalis on each prey species were quantified across a range of prey densities to determine prey-specific functional response parameters using non-linear regression fitting to Holling type II and type III functional response models. Prey preference of C. occidentalis was evaluated through simultaneous no-choice and binary-choice feeding experiments in which predators were offered individual prey species and paired combinations of available mite species at equalized densities, with electivity indices calculated to quantify differential prey selection behavior. Developmental duration across all immature stages, adult longevity, oviposition rate, and egg hatchability were recorded for C.