Identification of potential sex determination genes and functional analyses in Neoseiulus californicus under prey stress

BACKGROUND Phytoseiid mites are important natural enemies of spider mites. Sex‐determination mechanism are important basic scientific issues in the reproduction and evolution of predatory mites. Clarifying sex‐determination mechanism may provide reference for exploring genetic approach to have the phytoseiid mites produce more female offspring, which could improve their effectiveness as a biological control agent. RESULTS We used transcriptome sequencing to identify and characterize 20 putative sex‐determination genes in the phytoseiid mite Neoseiulus californicus, a species with uncommon pseudo‐arrhenotoky, including doublesex‐like (dsx1‐like), transformer‐2 (tra‐2), intersex (ix), and fruitless‐like (BTB2). A significant negative correlation was found between prey stress and offspring sex ratio. But the most genes identified showed no difference in expression between the groups with lowest and highest female offspring ratios. The hatching rate and sex ratio of female offspring were reduced when the ix gene was silenced, and the oviposition days and fecundity were reduced when the BTB2 gene was silenced. The fecundity was reduced when the tra2 gene was silenced and the snf gene is essential for oviposition in female. There was no effect on reproduction and female sex determination when silencing the dsx1‐like and dsx2‐like gene. CONCLUSION The genes BTB2, tra2 and snf are involved in oviposition, and ix may be involved in female sex determination and egg formation in Neoseiulus californicus. The results are conductive to further understanding molecular regulatory mechanism of sex determination in predatory mites and may provide a reference for better use of this predatory by producing more females. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. A significant negative correlation was found between prey stress and offspring sex ratio. The genes BTB2, tra2 and snf are involved in oviposition, and ix may be involve in female sex determination and egg formation in Neoseiulus californicus.