and almond pollen) and demonstrated that T. bagdasarjani had the ability to grow on
both arenas and three diets but rearing of E. finlandicus inclusively on bean leaf and
pollen or mixture of pollen+T. urticae was possible.
In a study, Hajmohammadloo and Shirdel (2010) investigated the effect of
feeding of five pollen sources, apple, pear, almond, apricot and walnut on biological
parameters of T. bagdasarjani, and showed the pollen grains can be alternative foods
for development and reproduction of the predatory mite. The effect of three diets
including (maize pollen; maize pollen and T. urticae eggs; maize pollen, active
stages of T. urticae and all active stages of T. urticae) on the predation rate of
A. swirskii and P. persimilis in three patches (4, 9 and 16 cm
2 ) was investigated and
demonstrated that patch size and diet could significantly impact the predation rate of
both mites (Sharifian et al. 2014). The nutritional value of seven different pollen
grains (almond, castor-bean, date-palm, maize, bitter-orange, sunflower and mixed
bee pollen) as a supplementary food source was evaluated on life table parameters of
N. californicus and revealed almond pollen (and after that the maize pollen) is a more
suitable diet than the others (Khanamani et al. 2017a). In this regard, the life table
parameters of N. californicus were assessed after 20 generations and showed an
extraordinary performance for this predator (Khanamani et al. 2017c). On the other
hand, high performance on almond pollen have also been proved for A. swirskii and
T. bagdasarjani (Riahi et al. 2016, 2017a, 2018a, b). Also, another related study by
Khanamani et al. (2017b) showed that an artificial diet enriched with arthropods
(Ephestia kuhniella Zeller or Artemia franciscana Kellogg cyst) as well as maize
pollen or bull sperm could improve population growth parameters of N. californicus.
Likewise, Riahi et al. (2017b) demonstrated adding Artemia cysts and maize pollen
to the same basic artificial diet was suitable for mass production of A. swirskii while
factitous preys (E. kuhniella, A. franciscana and Tyrophagus putrescentiae) and
artificial diets were not appropriate for mass rearing of T. bagdasrajani (Riahi et al.
2018a, b). In other studies, pistachio pollen created a supplementary diet for mass
production of N. californicus (Soltaniyan et al. 2018) and, Rezaei and Askarieh
(2016) declared corn, sunflower and date pollen grains are an alternative food for
N. barkeri.
There are limited studies on releasing method and long-term storage of the
phytoseiids in Iran. In a research under microcosm conditions on cucumber, predator: prey release ratios of 1:4, 1:10 and 1:20 of P. persimilis and T. bagdasarjani
were studied and observed the best ratio is 1:4 for two predators in controling of
T. urticae (Moghadasi and Allahyari 2018).
3.2.1.5 Blattisociidae
With 14 genera and about 370 species, blattisociids occupy a wide range of terrestrial and semiaquatic habitats (Lindquist et al. 2009; de Moraes et al. 2016). The
genus Blattisocius is one of potential genera being important in biocontrol point of
view. Mites of this genus are usually found in stored products preying upon available
arthropods including moths, beetles and mites of the family Acaridae. One
3 Biological Control of Pests by Mites in Iran
105
both arenas and three diets but rearing of E. finlandicus inclusively on bean leaf and
pollen or mixture of pollen+T. urticae was possible.
In a study, Hajmohammadloo and Shirdel (2010) investigated the effect of
feeding of five pollen sources, apple, pear, almond, apricot and walnut on biological
parameters of T. bagdasarjani, and showed the pollen grains can be alternative foods
for development and reproduction of the predatory mite. The effect of three diets
including (maize pollen; maize pollen and T. urticae eggs; maize pollen, active
stages of T. urticae and all active stages of T. urticae) on the predation rate of
A. swirskii and P. persimilis in three patches (4, 9 and 16 cm
2 ) was investigated and
demonstrated that patch size and diet could significantly impact the predation rate of
both mites (Sharifian et al. 2014). The nutritional value of seven different pollen
grains (almond, castor-bean, date-palm, maize, bitter-orange, sunflower and mixed
bee pollen) as a supplementary food source was evaluated on life table parameters of
N. californicus and revealed almond pollen (and after that the maize pollen) is a more
suitable diet than the others (Khanamani et al. 2017a). In this regard, the life table
parameters of N. californicus were assessed after 20 generations and showed an
extraordinary performance for this predator (Khanamani et al. 2017c). On the other
hand, high performance on almond pollen have also been proved for A. swirskii and
T. bagdasarjani (Riahi et al. 2016, 2017a, 2018a, b). Also, another related study by
Khanamani et al. (2017b) showed that an artificial diet enriched with arthropods
(Ephestia kuhniella Zeller or Artemia franciscana Kellogg cyst) as well as maize
pollen or bull sperm could improve population growth parameters of N. californicus.
Likewise, Riahi et al. (2017b) demonstrated adding Artemia cysts and maize pollen
to the same basic artificial diet was suitable for mass production of A. swirskii while
factitous preys (E. kuhniella, A. franciscana and Tyrophagus putrescentiae) and
artificial diets were not appropriate for mass rearing of T. bagdasrajani (Riahi et al.
2018a, b). In other studies, pistachio pollen created a supplementary diet for mass
production of N. californicus (Soltaniyan et al. 2018) and, Rezaei and Askarieh
(2016) declared corn, sunflower and date pollen grains are an alternative food for
N. barkeri.
There are limited studies on releasing method and long-term storage of the
phytoseiids in Iran. In a research under microcosm conditions on cucumber, predator: prey release ratios of 1:4, 1:10 and 1:20 of P. persimilis and T. bagdasarjani
were studied and observed the best ratio is 1:4 for two predators in controling of
T. urticae (Moghadasi and Allahyari 2018).
3.2.1.5 Blattisociidae
With 14 genera and about 370 species, blattisociids occupy a wide range of terrestrial and semiaquatic habitats (Lindquist et al. 2009; de Moraes et al. 2016). The
genus Blattisocius is one of potential genera being important in biocontrol point of
view. Mites of this genus are usually found in stored products preying upon available
arthropods including moths, beetles and mites of the family Acaridae. One
3 Biological Control of Pests by Mites in Iran
105