ABSTRACT
Aiming to evaluate the pontential of predation of the mites Amblyseius acalyphus Denmark & Muma and Amblyseius neochiapensis Lofego, Moraes & McMurtry as predators of 2 phytophagous mites found on guava trees, Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes) and Oligonychus psidii Flechtmann, the present work was conducted to evaluate the oviposition levels of those predators when they feed on those mites, and compare these to the oviposition levels when they feed on Tetranychus urticae Kock and pollen of Typha angustifolia L. The experiments were done in experimental units made with leaves of Psidium guajava L. in the case of A. neochiapensis, and leaves of P. guajava and Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck in the case of A. acalyphus. For the experiments done on leaves of P. guajava the average ovipositions obtained for A. acalyphus were always smaller than 0.7 egg per female per day. For A. neochiapensis the average was 1.1 egg per female that fed on pollen and 0.7 egg per female that fed on B. phoenicis , T. urticae or O. psidii. Also, when C. sinensis leaves were used, the oviposition ofA. acalyphus was low, reaching the maximum of 0.8 egg per female per day, when the female fed on a combination of pollen + B. phoenicis.
KEY WORDS
Predation; Phytoseiidae; biological control