Morphological Changes in Some Taxonomic Characters of Laboratory-Reared Neoseiulus idaeus (Denmark and Muma)

Abstract

Microscopic measurement of 29 morphological features of female Neoseiulus idaeus (Denmark and Muma) were made using the Leitz phase contrast compound microscope on both feral and colonized strains. The width of the dorsal shield, lengths of setae j3, j5, z1, s4 and s5 on the dorsal shield, the distances between setae ST1 andST3, and the pair of ST2 on the sternal shield, the pair of G setae on the genital shield and the length of the ventrianal shield were significantly longer (P.0.05) for the feral strain females than for the colonized stain females. Conversely, eleven taxonomic characters of the feral stain namely, the dorsal shield setae j1, j5, j6, j2, z4, Z4, r3, and R1, macroseta on tarsus of leg IV, the anterior and posterior widths of the ventrianal shied were significantly shorter (P, 0.05). The elongation of some the dorsal shield setae of the colonized strain was attributed to adaptation for feeding on variation (%) obtained for the majority of the parameters in the colonized strain suggested greater genetic diversity in the feral population and/or convergence of external features due to laboratory selection predator be reared on its original primary prey and the original host plant under near natural condition to achieve control when released in the field.