Abstract Suppression of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) and the thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) by the predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot on greenhouse cucumbers can be considerably affected by cooler conditions in winter. In this study, this well known mite was tested simultaneously with a more recent predatory mite Transeius montdorensis (Schicha), to find out which of them was better at controlling pests on cucumbers in winter in Mediterranean greenhouses. We developed a mathematical predator-prey model which involved releasing both predators with populations of the two naturally occurring pests in a greenhouse cucumber trial. T. montdorensis provided pest control that was similar to and as effective as that by A. swirskii. T. montdorensis exhibited higher populations than A. swirskii, specifically when climatic conditions were colder. However, as the weather became warmer, the A. swirskii population increased quickly. Therefore, releasing T. montdorensis in winter, followed with releases of A. swirskii in spring, may be a good pest control strategy for greenhouse cucumbers.

中文翻译：

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两种捕食性螨 Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot 和 Transeius montdorensis (Schicha) 的捕食-猎物模型对比研究改善温室黄瓜的生物防治

摘要 捕食性螨 Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot 对粉虱 Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) 和蓟马 Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) 对温室黄瓜的抑制会受到冬季凉爽条件的显着影响。在这项研究中，这种众所周知的螨与最近的捕食性螨 Transeius montdorensis (Schicha) 同时进行了测试，以找出它们中的哪一种更擅长在冬季地中海温室中控制黄瓜上的害虫。我们开发了一个数学捕食者-猎物模型，该模型涉及在温室黄瓜试验中将两种捕食者与两种天然害虫的种群一起释放。T. montdorensis 提供了与 A. swirskii 相似且同样有效的害虫控制。T. montdorensis 的种群数量高于 A. swirskii，特别是当气候条件较冷时。然而，随着天气转暖，A. swirskii 种群迅速增加。因此，冬季释放 T. montdorensis，然后在春季释放 A. swirskii，可能是温室黄瓜的良好病虫害防治策略。