Abstract
Amblyseius tsugawai Ehara (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is a major predator of spider mites in orchards in Japan. To support populations in apple orchards in Akita Prefecture, northern Japan, we investigated whether it can use Plantago asiatica L. as a food resource. In laboratory tests, survival did not differ significantly between female adults given water only and those given a piece of P. asiatica leaf and water. However, A. tsugawai reproduces by feeding on P. asiatica pollen, and significantly more mites were reared on P. asiatica pollen than on tea pollen, which is commonly used for rearing phytoseiid mites. In orchards in 2013, female adults were observed on leaves of P. asiatica from late May; numbers peaked in mid-June and gradually decreased until late July. Most adults were found along veins on the hidden sides of the leaves. Female adults were also collected in Phyto traps attached to plants between late May and early August. Pollen production of P. asiatica peaked from mid-June to early July, when numbers of adults peaked on the plants. These results suggest that conservation of P. asiatica in apple orchards would sustain A. tsugawai populations.
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Acknowledgments
We thank Dr S. Toyoshima, NARO Institute of Vegetable and Tea Sciences, for providing tea pollen, and Mr I. Takahashi, Mr A. Oda, and Mr A. Sato, Akita Fruit Tree Experiment Station, for their assistance with the field work. This work was supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan, through a research project entitled “Development of technologies for mitigation and adaptation to climate change in agriculture, forestry and fisheries” and by the joint research program implemented at the Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Japan.
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Funayama, K., Sonoda, S. Plantago asiatica groundcover supports Amblyseius tsugawai (Acari: Phytoseiidae) populations in apple orchards. Appl Entomol Zool 49, 607–611 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13355-014-0280-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13355-014-0280-0