Abstract: 【Aim】 Alternative food is a critical component for the mass-rearing of biological control agents, but the impacts of continuous single diet may affect the survival, reproduction and predation ability of natural enemies. This study aims to clarify the growth and development, fecundity and predation ability of Amblyseius herbicolus reared on Oulenziella bakeri. 【Methods】 Life table parameters of A. herbicolus in the F₂, F₄ and F₆ generations reared on O. bakeri were analyzed using the age-stage, two-sex life table, and their predation abilities on Tetranychus urticae were determined by predation functional response. 【Results】 Among F₂, F₄ and F₆, the larval duration of A. herbicolus lengthened gradually and the longevity of female and male adults gradually shortened with the increase of the generations, but no significant differences were found in the duration of the egg, protonymph and deutonymph of these three generations. No significant effect was found in the survival rate and population parameters among the three generations of A. herbicolus. In population parameters, the intrinsic rate of increase (r) and finite rate of increase (λ) of the three generations were 0.19-0.20 and 1.21-1.22 d^-1, respectively. The female adults of A. herbicolus of F₂, F₄ and F₆ generations had no significant difference in the consumed amount of nymphs and female adults of T. urticae, and the predation functional response was fitted to HollingⅡmodel. 【Conclusion】 A. herbicolus can develop and reproduce normally when continuously reared on the alternative prey O. bakeri, and its population quantity has an increasing tendency. The study suggests that O. bakeri could be the potential alternative prey for mass-rearing of A. herbicolus. 

Key words: Amblyseius herbicolus, Oulenziella bakeri, alternative food, life table parameters, predation ability