Received: 05-08-2021 / Accepted: 21-01-2022
This study aimed to find out the most suitable artificial diets for rearing predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot. The experiment was conducted according to individual rearing method in an incubator at 27℃with four artificial diets, viz. TA1 as basic diet (containing sucrose, yeast extract, egg yolk powder, vitamins mix); TA2, basic diet supplemented with 20% black soldier fly pupal powder; TA3 and TA4, basic diet supplemented with 20% decapsulated and non-decapsulated TA4 of dry cysts of Artemia franciscana, respectively. The results showed that females of A. swirskii fed on TA2 and TA3 had the shortest life cycle (7.68 and 7.88 days, respectively), followed by those fed on TA4 (8.11 days) and the longest was those fed on TA1 (8.68 days).The total number of eggs laid by the females rearing on TA2, TA3 or TA4 was significantly higher than that of TA1. The intrinsic rate of increase (rm) of the females fed on TA2 (0.182), TA3 (0.176) and TA4 (0.174) were significantly higher than those fed on TA1 (0.151). In conclusion, the artificial diets TA2, TA3 and TA4 can be used in mass rearing A.swirskii, and can also be used as supplemental diets for supporting the mite population on crops in the absence or lack of prey.