Book Review

Two factors were examined to determine their effect on the life history, reproduction and life table parameters in the predacious mite Paraseiulus talbii (Athias-Henriot), cultured in the laboratory at 32°C and 75% RH, using tydeid mite, Orthotydeus californicus (Banks) as food. The factors investigated included age of mating females and food deprivation periods during adult stage. Age of mating females has an influence on fecundity and adult longevity; old females decreased egg production and shortened adult longevity compared with young females under constant conditions of abundant prey. A significant lower fecundity, shorter oviposition period and adult longevity were recorded on females when exposed to different food deprivation programmes. Old mating females (30-days old) as well as females exposed to severe food deprivation (three days starvation/a week) resulted in the lower net reproductive rate (Ro), intrinsic rate of natural increase (r_m) and finite rate of increase (λ) values (Ro = 7.301 and 7.486, r_m = 0.202 and 0.198, λ = 1.224 and 1.219) compared with young females (0-day old) and without food deprivation (Ro = 41.312, r_m = 0.308, λ = 1.361). The influence of the duration of copulation on egg production was also studied. Artificial curtailment of copulation to half or quarter the average duration resulted in a reduction in the percentage of reproducing females, fecundity, oviposition duration and the proportion of females in the progeny.