Abstract
Mites of the families Laelapidae and Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) are commonly used as biocontrol agents against pests in greenhouses. In mass production of predatory mites, stored product mites (Acari: Astigmata) are the most commonly used prey.
Sometimes, the laboratory cultures of prey mites collapse and hence, the mass production of prey for predator rearing is delayed. Poor quality prey mites influence production of predators by decreasing predatory mite growth rate, increasing developmental time of predators due to nutrient deficiency, and reducing fitness of predators.
Here we review the species of stored product mites which are frequently available in laboratory cultures and possible factors that may negatively influence their production. Rearing diet strongly influences population growth, and optimisation of diets is discussed in relation to population growth differences among the strains of mites and pathological effects caused by mite metabolites (white body syndrome).
Pathogens including acaropathogenic bacteria, protozoa and fungi reduce prey mite fitness, cause the collapse of prey mite cultures and influence the robustness of the predatory mite population via its prey.