Development and reproductive biology of Buchananiella whitei (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) reared on different diets

Buchananiella whitei Reuter (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) is a native New Zealand predator that has recently been commercialised for the biological control of various arthropod pests. However, no detailed biological information has been reported for this species. This study describes its life history, development, and some oviposition when reared on three different diets—frozen moth eggs of Ephestia kuehniella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae); frozen mixed stages of Carpoglyphus lactis (Sarcoptiformes: Carpoglyphidae); and live mixed stages of C. lactis. All three diets supported complete development, but individuals fed live C. lactis or frozen moth eggs attained significantly larger adult body sizes than those reared on frozen C. lactis. Developmental duration, hatch rate, and survival did not differ significantly among diets. Between 15% and 23% of individuals developed through six (rather than the usual five) nymphal instars, representing the variable instar number within the Anthocoridae. Adult females were larger than males across all treatments. Oviposition occurred only when females were provided with live C. lactis, and increased markedly when relative humidity was reduced (from 80% ± 5% to 26% ± 4%), suggesting that environmental moisture strongly influences reproduction. These results support our hypotheses, demonstrating that live C. lactis is a suitable and cost-effective factitious prey for rearing B. whitei, and they provide the first detailed biological description of this species. The discovery of humidity-dependent oviposition and variable instar number highlights developmental plasticity within the Anthocoridae and offers insights for optimising mass-rearing systems and improving the use of B. whitei in New Zealand biological control programmes.