Résumé
Recent studies have shown Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) recki's ability to feed on pest mites on tomato plants. However, the effects of, coexistence with other predatory mite species, such as Phytoseiulus persimilis, was never assessed. This study aimed to determine the influence of P. persimilis on the population development and predation efficiency of T. (A.) recki on Solanaceae plants. Laboratory experiments were conducted, using leaf disks from Solanum nigrum, where a total of 8 treatments (combinations of T. urticae eggs with or without pollen, and different ratios of predatory mites from both species) were tested. Daily observations recorded the consumption of T. urticae eggs and the number of eggs laid by each predator species under the different treatment conditions. Results indicated that treatments with multiple mite individuals on a leaf exhibited higher rates of T. urticae egg consumption compared to single-individual treatments. Additionally, temporal consumption dynamics varied across treatments. However, T. (A.) recki consumption was always lower in presence of pollen. Interestingly, food type rather than interspecies interactions primarily influenced egg-laying behavior. It thus seems that in the presence of pollen, competitive interactions between the predator species diminished, facilitating coexistence. These findings suggest that under conditions where alternative food sources are available, both predator species can coexist, offering promising implications for biological pest control strategies.