iv
3.3.2. Dietary supplements ................................................................................................ 41!
3.3.3. Experimental conditions and trials .......................................................................... 42!
3.3.4. Statistical analysis ................................................................................................... 44!
3.4. Results ............................................................................................................................ 45!
3.4.1. Survival rate, escape rate and development time .................................................... 45!
3.4.2. Oviposition rate, sex ratio and rm ............................................................................ 46!
3.4.3. Protein content ........................................................................................................ 48!
3.5. Discussion ...................................................................................................................... 48!
Chapter 4. Effects of a supplemental food source on intraguild and extraguild predation by
Amblyseius swirskii and Neoseiulus cucumeris (Acari: Phytoseiidae) with Frankliniella
occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) as trophic prey. .......................................................... 53!
4.1. Abstract .......................................................................................................................... 53!
4.2. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 53!
4.3. Material & methods ....................................................................................................... 56!
4.3.1. Rearings .................................................................................................................. 56!
4.3.2. Trials ....................................................................................................................... 56!
4.3.3. Sampling ................................................................................................................. 58!
4.3.4. Statistical analysis ................................................................................................... 58!
4.4. Results ............................................................................................................................ 59!
4.4.1. Extraguild predation rate ......................................................................................... 59!
4.4.2. Intraguild predation rate .......................................................................................... 59!
4.5. Discussion ...................................................................................................................... 60!
Chapter 5. Apple pollen as a supplemental food source for western flower thrips control by
two species of predatory mites, Amblyseius swirskii and Neoseiulus cucumeris (Acari:
Phytoseiidae) ............................................................................................................................. 65!
5.1. Abstract .......................................................................................................................... 65!
5.2. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 65!
5.3. Material & Methods ....................................................................................................... 67!
5.3.1. Experimental conditions and trials .......................................................................... 68!
5.3.2. Sampling ................................................................................................................. 69!
5.3.3. Data analysis ........................................................................................................... 70!