J. A. McMurtry, G. T. Schriven. 1975. Population increase of Phytoseiulus on different insectary feeding programs. Journal of Economic Entomology 68 (3): 319-321.

Experiments were conducted to determine the optimum amount and stage of Tetranychus pacificus McGregor (prey) needed for production of the predator, Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot, under insectary conditions. A diet which started with 2 mg of prey eggs/10 ♀ predators, fed 3 times a week and doubling the amount of food each week, produced an average of 9.7 active stages of predators per mg of prey after 35 days. A 50% reduction in the amount of prey resulted in less than ½ the number of predators being produced and fewer predators per mg of prey eggs. A diet of all stages of prey (with

50% eggs) produced somewhat fewer predators compared to prey eggs as food, and adult stages of prey were unsatisfactory for rearing the predator. A method is described for mass-rearing P. persimilis