First report of the predatory spider, Oxyopes lineatus (Aranea: Oxyopidae) on Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) from Iran

Elaheh Rostami | Hossein Madadi | Javed Rafinejad | Habib Abbasipour

---

URL :   http://research.shahed.ac.ir/WSR/WebPages/Report/PaperView.aspx?PaperID=31773
Date :  2016/02/02
Publish in :    سومين همايش کنترل بيولوژيک در کشاورزي و منابع طبيعي


Keywords :spider, absoluta, Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae

Abstract :

---

Spiders are among the important biocontrol agents of pests in Iran and other countries. In ecological research on tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), during 2014-2015 one predatory spider, Oxyopes lineatus (Aranea: Oxyopidae) was collected and identified as predator of different life stages of this pest from Hamedan region. The body colour of O. lineatusis is yellowish to light-brown with a pattern of white markings. Like most spiders the species is sexually dimorphic, the males being distinctly smaller than the females. The body length of adult males is about 4–5 mm, while that of females is 6–8 mm. As in the Oxyopidae in general, there are long spines on their legs in a basket-like arrangement that assists in confining prey during capture. O. lineatus is largely an ambush hunting spider and preys on insects and other small animals. They do not use webs for trapping their prey. This is the first report of Oxyopes lineatus world widely on Tuta absoluta.