title: Supplemental food for Amblyseius swirskii in the control of thrips: feeding friend or foe?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In integrated pest management systems in greenhouse crops, the predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii is becoming increasingly important as a biological control agent of various pests, especially thrips and whiteflies. An emerging strategy to promote the predator's establishment and retention in the crop consists in providing food supplements. However, when faced with omnivorous pests, such as the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, food supplements need to be applied with extreme care, in order not to boost population growth of the pest. This laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the impact of commercial products of Typha angustifolia pollen and decapsulated brine shrimp cysts (Artemia sp.) on populations of both pest and predator and on predator-prey interactions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pollen was highly supportive for both F. occidentalis and A. swirskii, whereas Artemia cysts supported thrips populations to a lesser extent than those of the predator. Furthermore, a less pronounced reduction in thrips consumption by A. swirskii was observed in the presence of Artemia cysts as compared with T. angustifolia pollen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Artemia might be a valuable alternative to pollen for supporting populations of A. swirskii in order to improve thrips management, as they are less beneficial for the pest but do support population growth of A. swirskii.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dominiek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vangansbeke
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.|Entomology Department, Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Trau Quy, Gia Lam, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Duc Tung
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: PCS - Ornamental Plant Research, Destelbergen, Belgium.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Audenaert
authors.affiliation: PCS - Ornamental Plant Research, Destelbergen, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Verhoeven
authors.affiliation: PCS - Ornamental Plant Research, Destelbergen, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gobin
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tirry
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Clercq
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D001156:Artemia / Q000737:chemistry*; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D020387:Food Chain; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008925:Mites / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D009753:Nutritive Value; D009758:Nymph / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*; D011058:Pollen / Q000737:chemistry*; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D061149:Thysanoptera / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D032401:Typhaceae / Q000737:chemistry
keywords: Amblyseius swirskii; Artemia sp; Frankliniella occidentalis; Typha angustifolia; food supplementation; intrinsic rate of increase; predation rate