Pollen suitability for the development and reproduction of Amblydromalus limonicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Plant pollen is considered a food of high nutritional quality for several natural enemies, such as predatory insects and mites. In periods of prey absence or scarcity, omnivorous predators often exploit plant pollen as an alternative food. In the case of predators feeding on mixed diets, pollen may be consumed supplementary to the main prey. However, genetic variation may translate into quality differences in pollen derived from distinct plant species. We herein assessed the nutritional suitability of the pollen of four anemophilous plant species [cattail—Typha latifolia (L.), pine, corn, and olive] for the predatory mite Amblydromalus limonicus (Garman & McGregor) (Acari: Phytoseiidae), a phytoseiid mite with great potential for controlling thrips and whiteflies in greenhouse crops. Juvenile development and survival were not affected by the different pollens. Nevertheless, significant differences in adult performance (longevity and egg production) resulted in considerable effects of pollen species on the calculated intrinsic rates of increase (rₘ) for this predator. Cattail followed by olive pollen resulted in the highest rₘ values (0.2340 and 0.2001 day⁻¹, respectively), while the lowest values were recorded for corn and pine pollen. Our results show that all pollens tested may be used as alternative food for sustaining the population of A. limonicus in the field. Recorded differences among pollens highlight the need for a careful consideration of the quality of pollen used in laboratory rearings and in field applications.