In this paper, pollen of Mabea fistulifera Mart. was evaluated as food for Euseius citrifolius Denmark & Muma, 1970. The mites were kept in a rearing chamber at 25 ± 1°C, 60 ± 10% UR e 12 h of photophase. Pollen of Typha angustifolia L. and Ricinus communis L. were used for comparison, because of their known suitability to this predator. The suitability of those three types of pollen was evaluated when they were stored for different periods at 10ºC: newly collected to 11 days old (Pollen I); from 15 to 26 days old (Pollen II) and from 30 to 41 days old (Pollen III). The suitability of each kind of food was determined based on the oviposition rate at 11 consecutive days. Each experimental plot consisted of five females in an arena made of lemon leaf; treatments were replicated 10 times. Oviposition rate for treatments were compared using ANOVA, and Bonferroni's test. Pearson's correlation index was used to compare oviposition rates at different periods of store of pollen. There were significant differences (F = 4.78; df = 89, p < 0.0001) between some treatments: mites fed pollen III of M. fistulifera had higher oviposition than those fed Pollen I and R. communis Pollen III. Mites fed Pollen II of T. angustifolia had higher oviposition rates than those fed pollen III of R. communis. Only females fed pollen of R. communis had negative correlation between oviposition rates and the periods of storage of pollen. The results showed that M. fistulifera pollen is used by E. citrifolius as food and comparable with pollen from T. angustifolia, futhermore, showed great durability when storage at 10ºC.
Oviposition rate; predaceous mites; rearing; storaged pollen
