Short-term changes in consumption and oviposition rates of Neoseiulus californicus strains (Acari: Phytoseiidae) after a diet shift.

Short-term effects on consumption and oviposition rates of four strains of Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) after a diet shift were evaluated. The new feeding conditions experienced by the predators were six fixed densities of eggs or protonymphs of Tetranychus urticae Koch placed on excised strawberry leaflet discs and maintained under laboratory conditions (25 +/- 1 degrees C, 75-85% RH, 16L: 8D). The observations were made on the first and the fifth day of the experiment. The phytoseiids came from three long-term mass-reared strains fed on T. urticae, Dermatophagoidesfarinae Hughes, or Quercus spp. pollen, respectively. The fourth strain was collected directly in a strawberry field. Time since diet transfer can be added to the factors (i.e. feeding history and prey density) already known to affect the functional and numerical responses of N. californicus, both when it feeds on prey eggs and protonymphs. If consumption rates were averaged over all strains and densities, 9.04 and 11.41 eggs, and 6.97 and 6.48 protonymphs were consumed on the first and the fifth day, respectively. If the same was done for oviposition rates, predators feeding on eggs produced 1.46 and 2.36 eggs/female/day, whereas predators feeding on protonymphs produced 1.35 and 2.29 eggs/female/day. Time had the greatest impact on the functional response of the strain that had previously fed on tetranychids, while an effect of time on the numerical response was detectable in all strains.