Both heat stress and prey species affect Amblyseius orientalis performance.

Whitefly Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is widely distributed throughout China and poses a significant economic threat to various crops. Coincidently, it often occurs with other small sucking pests like spider mites Tetranychus urticae Koch (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae). To effectively control small pests, Amblyseius orientalis Ehara (Mesostigmata:Phytoseiidae) is explored as an excellent biocontrol agent for pests management in the field. Multiple prey species can enhance A. orientalis reproduction and thus improve the pest control. Whereas, its effectiveness in controlling both pests under different stress remains uncertain. In this study, we investigated the impacts of two temperatures of 25°C and 33°C on the performances of A. orientalis on the control of T. urticae and B. tabaci. The results revealed that A. orientalis had the longest development period (7.63 days) when fed at 25°C, while the shortest development period (4.55 days) at 33°C. High temperatures and whiteflies prey significantly reduced A. orientalis reproduction. Moreover, thermal stress resulted in decreased longevity of A. orientalis, and individuals fed on T. urticae lived longer compared to those fed on B. tabaci. Hence, this study assessed the pest control efficacy of A. orientalis under two conditions, offering valuable insights for the field application of biological control using A. orientalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]