Abstract
Summary Tetranychus turkestani Ugarov and Nikolski is one of the main agricultural pests of southwestern Iran and some other tropical regions. In the present study, fumigant activity of three essential oils extracted from Rosmarinus officinalis L., Mentha longifolia L. and Eucalyptus globulus Labill., and contact toxicity of two biopesticides (Tondexir and Palizin) on T. turkestani mite females were investigated and compared with that of spiromesifen, a chemical acaricide. Also, sublethal effects of the tested compounds at 50% lethal concentration (LC50) were estimated on the biological parameters of T. turkestani. The LC50 values for E. globulus, R. officinalis and M. longifolia essential oils were 12.50, 11.52 and 4.00 μl/l air and for spiromesifen, Tondexir and Palizin were 10.98, 327.34 and 858.13 ppm, respectively. All tested compounds significantly reduced adult female longevity, equally to the chemical acaricide spiromesifen. Fecundity also decreased in all treatments and this reduction was even higher for plant essential oils than the other compounds. Palizin, E. globulus and M. longifolia significantly reduced the hatchability of T. turkestani eggs similarly to spiromesifen. According to the results, the tested plant compounds are effective against T. turkestani and may be applied as suitable alternatives to synthetic pesticides against this crop pest.
Highlights
Tetranychus turkestani Ugarov and Nikolski, strawberry spider mite, (Acari: Tetranychidae) is a severe pest in some parts of tropical regions and southwestern Iran (Zhang, 2003; Karami-Jamour and Shishehbor, 2012)
E. globulus and M. longifolia significantly reduced the hatchability of T. turkestani eggs to spiromesifen
The tested plant compounds are effective against T. turkestani and may be applied as suitable alternatives to synthetic pesticides against this crop pest
Summary
Tetranychus turkestani Ugarov and Nikolski, strawberry spider mite, (Acari: Tetranychidae) is a severe pest in some parts of tropical regions and southwestern Iran (Zhang, 2003; Karami-Jamour and Shishehbor, 2012). It is a polyphagous pest and has been reported from 270 host plants worldwide (Jeppson et al, 1975; Migeon and Dorkeld, 20062013). Plant essential oils can be considered as an alternative for controlling spider mites, due to their compatibility with biological control agents and shorter residual effect, while they are safer to humans (Chiasson et al, 2004; Hincapié et al, 2008; Hussein et al, 2013).
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