Phytoseiid Mites Research Articles

Comparison of the suppressive effect on the two-spotted spider mite <i>Tetran</i><i>ychus urticae</i> Koch among different installation methods of light-reflection materials in a strawberry greenhouse using ultraviolet-B lamps and phytoseiid mites

Artificial ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation is lethal to the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae. Recent studies in greenhouse strawberry have shown that light-reflecting sheets installed under strawberry plants can increase the suppressive effect of UV-B on T. urticae by reflecting the UV-B delivered from overhead lamps to the underside of the leaves. These methods are expected to be complementary to biological control methods, such as phytoseiid mites. However, light-reflecting sheets have low water permeability, which can result in the formation of puddles after pesticide spraying, leading to fruit deterioration and loss of yield. It is important to explore highly efficient installation methods for light-reflecting materials (LRMs) in spider mite control. Here, we examined the effects of three LRMs, and the impact of LRM orientation (horizontal vs. vertical), on T. urticae populations in greenhouse strawberry treated with UV-B radiation, chemical pesticides, and biopesticide control with phytoseiid mites. Of the three LRMs examined, a reflective 0.6 × 0.6-mm-mesh polyethylene net (“Mushi Furatto Net”) and a 2.0 × 7.0-mm-mesh polyethylene net woven with flashspun nonwoven fabric sheets (“Slimwhite 75”) offered significantly increased suppression of T. urticae populations compared with white mulching sheet alone. Even though these LRMs were installed horizontally, they were little stained at the end of the experiment, suggesting that puddle formation after pesticide spraying was avoided.

Re-description of the female of Kampimodromus langei Wainstein and Arutunjan (Acari: Phytoseiidae) based on normal and abnormal specimens, with the first description of its male

Kampimodromus langei Wainstein and Arutunjan (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is reported for the first time for the Turkish fauna. It is re-described and illustrated, based on normal and abnormal female specimens from material collected from Quercus cerris L. var. cerris (Fagaceae) trees in Samsun Province on the north coast of Turkey. In addition, the male is described for the first time in this study. Our examination of a series of female specimens of K. langei showed no remarkable differences compared to its original description and subsequent redescriptions. However, on both sides of a female specimen, we observed an additional dorsal seta inserted at the location of seta S1 known from other groups of Mesostigmata closely related to phytoseiid mites. The dorsal shield of the abnormal specimen is also illustrated and its setal measurements are provided. To the best of our knowledge of phytoseiids, the extra seta has been reported only for Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) laurae Wainstein. The possibility of the more rearward location of anterior dorsal setae z6 and s6 which is known for some phytoseiid species, as well as the presence of extra seta/e on other species of phytoseiid mites, are also briefly discussed.

Seasonal Incidence of Phytophagous and Predatory Mites on Capsicum Under Nethouse

Capsicum is a popular vegetable crop grown under protected cultivation, but it provides congenial microclimate for insects and mites. The present study evaluates the seasonal incidence of mites on capsicum under nethouse conditions (2017, 2018). Simple, partial, and multiple correlation/regression coefficients of the incidence of mites with weather parameters revealed that the yellow mite Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks) exhibits significant negative correlation with minimum temperature and significant positive correlation with morning relative humidity (RH). With two spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch and predatory phytoseiid and stigmaeid mites, it was observed that there exists a significantly positive correlation with maximum, minimum and mean temperature but a negative one with morning RH. The weather parameters individually do not have much effect on mite incidence when other weather parameters were kept constant (partial correlation); however, all weather parameters had significant effect on mite incidence (multiple correlation). Preference of two spotted spider mite and yellow mite for different plant canopy level was also worked out; it was found that T. urticae preferred middle canopy followed by top and bottom ones, while P. latus preferred top canopy followed by others.

Descriptions of four new species of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) associated with medicinal plants from Northern Himalayan Zone of West Bengal, India

ABSTRACT Four new mite species of the family Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata), namely, Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) hasnuhanae Karmakar & Molla sp. nov., Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) theae Karmakar & Molla sp. nov., Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) ramdhuraensis Karmakar & Molla sp. nov., and Phytoseius dumurae Karmakar & Molla sp. nov. are described based on specimens collected from Hasnuhana (Cestrum nocturnum L.: Solanaceae), Tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.: Theaceae), Ulatkambal plant (Abroma augustum (L.): Malvaceae), and Fig plant (Ficus carica L.: Moraceae) at the Northern Hill Zone of West Bengal located amidst the Central Himalayan Mountain range. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:AC4F778D-1620-4612-B19E-2B26A8B80375

Seven new records and distribution of phytoseiid (Acari: Mesostigmata) mite fauna associated with agri- horticultural crops in Northern India

Seven new records and distribution of phytoseiid (Acari: Mesostigmata) mite fauna associated with agri- horticultural crops in Northern India

Seven new species of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Tripura, north-eastern India.

Tripura is a north eastern hilly state of India, and so far only 27 species of Phytoseiidae have been reported from the state. During the present survey 250 specimens were collected belonging to seven new species, namely Euseius tripuraensis sp. nov., Euseius spontaneum sp. nov., Euseius tripurii sp. nov., Phytoseius birbikrami sp. nov., Phytoseius khowaiensis sp. nov., Phytoseius baramuracus sp. nov., and Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) sonajhuriae sp. nov.

Study on diversity and community structure of mite fauna associated with vegetable crops in West Bengal, India

Aim: Methodology: Results: Interpretation: A study was carried out to understand the diversity and community structures of phytoseiid and phytophagous mite fauna associated with vegetable crops in West Bengal aiming for the development of better and ecologically sound mite pest management strategy. Mite samples were collected from different agro-climatic zones of West Bengal and the specimens were brought to the AINP on Agricultural Acarology laboratory, BCKV, Kalyani for mounting on glass slides using modified o Berlese’s medium. The slides were then kept on slide wormer at 35-40 C for 5-7 days to process for observation under a phase contrast microscope. A total of fifteen species of phytoseiid mites were recorded belonging to the genera Amblyseius, Euseius, Paraphytoseius, Typhlodromips, Scapulaseius, Neoseiulus, Phytoseius, Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) and Indoseiulus. Amblyseius largoensis was observed as predominant mite species followed by Typhlodromips syzygii occupied 19.71 and 15.05 % of total predatory mite population, respectively. The other predatory mites belonging to the family Tydeidae, Bdellidae, Ascidae, Cunaxidae, Cheyletidae and Stigmaeidae were also recorded during the period of investigation. Predatory mites were observed to predate upon different stages of phytophagous mites, mealy bugs and pupae of whitefly. Concerning the phytophagous mites, Tetranychus urticae, Tetranychus ludeni, Schizotetranychus baltazari, Eutetranychus orientalis, Oligonychus andropogoni, Polyphagotarsonemus latus and Brevipalpus phoenicis were found as destructive mite pests in vegetables. Phytophagous mite is a serious concern for successful vegetables cultivation in West Bengal. Predatory mites were found effective against phytophagous mites and other soft bodied insect and they could be utilized for biological control programme to minimize the use of chemical pesticides.

Cost-effective and efficient factitious prey for mass production of Neoseiulus cucumeris (Acari: Phytoseiidae): assessing its quality compared with natural prey

BackgroundUsing alternative diets for the mass production of phytoseiid predatory mites may facilitate their cost-effective rearing. Factitious prey is often used as an alternative food source for mass rearing of generalist phytoseiids. The generalist predator, Neoseiulus cucumeris (Oudemans), is a commercially available biocontrol agent against various pests. We assessed the suitability of two factitious prey, Ephestia kuehniella Zeller eggs and Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank), as diets for long-term rearing (up to 30 generations) of N. cucumeris, when compared with a natural prey, Tetranychus urticae Koch.ResultsThe predator completed its development on all tested diets successfully. Under laboratory conditions, Tyrophagus putrescentiae could support the development and oviposition of the predator for up to 30 generations even better than its natural prey T. urticae. However, the eggs of E. kuehniella were not suitable for this predator because of the longer pre-adult period and adults failed to reproduce.ConclusionsSince rearing on T. putrescentiae for a long time had no adverse effects on the predator’s performance, this factitious prey could be considered as a suitable and cost-effective diet for mass production of N. cucumeris.

Airborne pollen can affect the abundance of predatory mites in vineyards: implications for conservation biological control strategies.

BACKGROUNDThe importance of pollen as alternative food for generalist phytoseiid mites occurring in vineyards has been investigated in northeastern Italy. We compared pollen and phytoseiid abundance in four vineyards and in plots located at different distance from flowering hop plants. Pollen (Carpinus betulus and Typha spp.) was sprayed onto the foliage to evaluate the potential impact of this food source on predatory mite abundance. Finally, grass management was investigated to analyze the effect of a reduced mowing frequency on predatory mite population densities.RESULTSArboreal pollen was found mostly during the spring and the grapevine blossoming period. Nonarboreal pollen dominated throughout the growing seasons. In vineyards, the abundance of Amblyseius andersoni, Kampimodromus aberrans, Phytoseius finitimus, Typhlodromus pyri eggs and motile forms increased after a phase of large pollen availability. Hop pollen promoted K. aberrans population increases in vineyards. Pollen applications increased predatory mite egg and motile form densities and similar effects were obtained by reducing mowing frequency in vineyards.CONCLUSIONPollen availability positively affects the biology of four phytoseiid species, promoting stable predatory mite populations in vineyards. However, natural pollen availability and predatory mite abundance often decrease in summer, and pollen supply can mitigate this trend. A higher pollen availability could be guaranteed by inserting hedges comprising species having scalar bloom, reducing mowing of inter‐row groundcover and spraying pollen. The presence of flowering plants surrounding vineyards and in their inter‐rows should be considered as a relevant factor to enhance the success of biocontrol tactics against phytophagous mites in viticulture.

Biodiversity of mites in mango orchards (Mangifera indica L.) and evaluation of some mineral and essential oils against Cisaberoptus kenyae Keifer (Acari: Eriophyidae) management

Seasonal abundance of phytophagous, predacious, miscellaneous and soil mites associated with mango orchards were investigated in the Giza governorate. Samples were taken from five mango orchards with different cultivars during four seasons through the year 2020–2021. Different parts of the mango trees such as leaves, raceme, buds as well as underneath the trees were sampled at fortnightly intervals. In total, 17 species representing 16 genera and 12 families with different feeding habits were collected and identified during the study. The relationship between predacious and plant feeding mites in this agriculture eco-system was discussed. Family Phytoseiidae represented the largest diversity of mites reported herein, with four species records. We anticipate that the results reported in the current study may encourage the establishment of control programs for plant-feeding mites using phytoseiid mites. Different oils and pesticides and their combinations were used to control the eriophyid mite, Cisaberoptus kenyae Keifer on mango leaves “Ewais” cultivar. The lethal concentrations were 2, 1, and 0.5%. The results showed that the most effective compound was mineral oil and spirodiclofen and the essential oil, Thymus vulgaris L. This is the first reported study demonstrating the control of C. kenyae using combinations of different oils, and a pesticide on mango leaves. These results can be used in future biological pest control programs.

Six-spotted mite and its predators on sprayed and unsprayed ‘Hass’ avocado trees

ABSTRACT Six-spotted mite, Eotetranychus sexmaculatus (Riley), is an introduced pest of ‘Hass’ avocados in New Zealand. Avocado orchards were surveyed for six-spotted mite and its natural enemies during 2016–18. Mean counts of six-spotted mite differed when compared by year. For each year, the effect of not spraying or spraying according to an integrated pest management programme (AvoGreen®) was not consistent for most location and season combinations. When year was ignored and all locations considered together, the leaves of unsprayed trees had fewer six-spotted mites than those of sprayed trees during autumn/winter. The phenology of mites and their predators in relation to leaf abscission was also determined on unsprayed potted trees during 2018–20 at two sites. Defoliation occurred in October and November each year but the association with densities of six-spotted mites was not consistent. Four species of phytoseiid mite predators were identified on orchards and potted trees with the most common species being Amblyseius herbicolus. The coccinellid mite predators Stethorus bifidus and S. histrio occurred on potted trees. The evidence that predators were able to control six-spotted mite populations was somewhat equivocal. Trials comparing sprayed and unsprayed trees under the same nutrient management and during multiple seasons would be useful.

Seasonal Occurrence and Pesticide Susceptibility of the Phytoseiid Mite, Typhlodromus vulgaris, in Commercial Apple Orchards in Aomori Prefecture

Seasonal Occurrence and Pesticide Susceptibility of the Phytoseiid Mite, <i>Typhlodromus vulgaris</i>, in Commercial Apple Orchards in Aomori Prefecture

First report of the phytoseiid mite Neoparaphytoseius charapa Jiménez, McMurtry &amp; Moraes, 2014 (Acari: Phytoseiidae) to Brazil, with notes on the occurrence of the genus

Phytoseiid mites collected on Inga edulis L. (Leguminosae) in three localities in the Amazonas State, Brazil, were identified as Neoparaphytoseius charapa Jiménez, McMurtry &amp; Moraes, 2014. This is the first report of this species in Brazil. Notes on geographic occurrence and association of Neoparaphytoseius Chant &amp; McMurtry, 2003 species with host plants are presented.

Selectivity and molecular stress responses to classical and botanical acaricides in the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae).

Acaricide application remains an integral component of integrated pest management (IPM) for the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae. Species and strains of phytoseiid predatory mites vary significantly in their response to acaricides. For the success of IPM, it is imperative to identify the determinants of selectivity and molecular stress responses of acaricides in predatory mites. The three classical acaricides bifenazate, cyflumetofen, and fenbutatin oxide did not affect the survival and fecundity of Phytoseiulus persimilis regardless of the route of exposure. Selectivity of the orange oil and terpenoid blend-based botanical acaricides was low via a combination of direct exposure, acaricide-laced diet, and residual exposure but improved when limiting exposure only to diet. To gain insights into the molecular stress responses, the transcriptome of P. persimilis was assembled. Subsequent gene expression analysis of predatory mites orally exposed to fenbutatin oxide and orange oil yielded only a limited xenobiotic stress response. In contrast, P. persimilis exhibited target-site resistance mutations, including I260M in SdhB, I1017M in CHS1, and kdr and super-kdr in VGSC. Extending the screen using available Phytoseiidae sequences uncovered I136T, S141F in cytb, G119S in AChE, and A2083V in ACC, well-known target-sites of acaricides. Selectivity of the tested botanical acaricides to P. persimilis was low but could be enhanced by restricting exposure to a single route. Differential gene expression analysis did not show a robust induced stress response after sublethal exposure. In contrast, this study uncovered target-site mutations that may help to explain the physiological selectivity of several classical acaricides to phytoseiid predators.

Phytoseiidae mites associated with native and cultivated solanaceous in Central-West Brazil

Predatory mites represent important biological control agents and those belonging to the Phytoseiidae family are the most promising for the control of phytophagous mites and small insects. The control of key pests of tomato and other solanaceous crops, highlighting phytophagous mites, has been a challenge and the biological control constitutes a promising strategy. Prospecting predatory mites in wild host plants, natural environments as well as in agroecosystems is relevant because these non-crop and crop areas can serve as reservoirs for promising species for biological control programs. This study aimed to know the Phytoseiidae fauna associated with wild and cultivated solanaceous plants in a poorly prospected area in Brazil, the Central-West Region. A detailed taxonomic identification of phytoseiid mites was conducted, and the most important morphological traits are presented for each species. In addition, associated phytophagous mites mainly belonging to the Tetranychidae, Tenuipalpidae and Eriophyoidea were identified. Surveys were carried out in 23 species of solanaceous collected in the Distrito Federal (12 areas) and Goiás State (1 area), from February 2017 to January 2018. Nineteen species of predators belonging to ten genera were recorded: Amblyseius (2 species), Euseius (3), Galendromus (1), Iphiseiodes (1), Neoseiulus (3), Paraphytoseius (1), Phytoseius (3), Proprioseiopsis (2), Typhlodromalus (2, one probably new to science) and Typhlodromips (1). Solanum lycocarpum was the solanaceous that harbored the highest richness (11 species), as well as the one with the highest abundance of phytoseiids (250 specimens). Typhlodromalus aripo was the most common species, being the most abundant (423 specimens; 32%) and registered on the largest number of hosts (14). Many of phytoseiid species found present morphological traits that facilitate their occurrence in leaves with trichomes, as in the case of tomato and other cultivated solanaceous. These traits and the association between predators and phytophagous mites may indicate that these species are promising for biological control programms. Thus, extensive studies to assess the efficiency of the identified predatory mites to control key solanaceous pests are required.

Functional response of Amblyseius eharai (Acari: Phytoseiidae) on Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae).

Amblyseius eharai is a generalist predatory mite that consumes spider mites, rust mites, thrips, and pollen, with a high adaptability to various plants. To better understand ecological and behavioral aspects of this species, we investigated its functional response to different stages of two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae. Furthermore, we compared its environmental adaptability with that of other referenced phytoseiids using a temperature-dependent model of the intrinsic rate of increase. We were able to calculate the functional response parameters of both sexes of A. eharai when preying on eggs or larvae of T. urticae and, for females only, when preying on the deutonymph of T. urticae. Among the various combinations tested herein, A. eharai females preying on T. urticae larvae had the highest attack rate and shortest handling time. For eggs of T. urticae, A. eharai showed a lower attack rate; however, its handling time for eggs was significantly shorter compared to other phytoseiids. Using T. urticae larva as a prey, the attack rate of female A. eharai was higher and the handling time of both sexes of this species was shorter than those of other phytoseiid mites. Amblyseius eharai populations can show maximum performance quickly due to this species’ lower optimal temperature for population growth (28.1°C) compared to other phytoseiid mites. Thus, we provided evidence that this predatory mite has the potential to be a new, effective biological control agent of greenhouse pests such as T. urticae due to its high predation capacity and low optimal temperature.

Acarofauna present in organic strawberry fields and associated weed species in southern Brazil.

The presence of weeds in the margins of strawberry crops can enhance populations of predatory mites as a measure to support conservation biological control. The aims of this study were (i) to assess the composition of the acarofauna associated with strawberries and the accompanying herbaceous plants in an organic farming system, and (ii) to evaluate the possible relationships between phytophagous and predatory mites occurring in this system. Strawberry leaves and whole plants of weeds were sampled biweekly from August 2014 to February 2015 in Lapa (Paraná, Brazil). In total, 23 weed species belonging to 10 families were identified; 3768 mite individuals (from 15 families and 4 suborders) were recovered, 77% on strawberries and 23% on weeds. Abundance of predatory mites on weeds was greater than on strawberry cultivars. On strawberries, the most abundant family was Tetranychidae (84%) followed by Phytoseiidae (11.6%). In total, 16 predatory mite species from the Phytoseiidae family were identified, 13 of them occurring on strawberry leaflets. Typholodromalus aripo, Neoseiulus californicus and Typhlodromips mangleae were the most abundant mite species on strawberry leaves. On weeds, most individuals were predatory mites (59%), whereas phytophagous mites represented 17.2%. The most abundant family was Phytoseiidae (36.4%). On weeds, the phytoseiid mite T. aripo was the most abundant species, representing 34.7%. Besides being found on strawberry leaflets, T. aripo was associated with 15 weed species. Among the weeds, Bidens pilosa showed the highest values of the Shannon index (1.97), Margalef index (3.04), and Pielou's evenness index (0.95). This study emphasizes the importance of surrounding weeds as a shelter for beneficial mitefauna in strawberry fields, likely contributing to enhance conservation biological control.

Description of eleven new species of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Meghalaya state, north eastern India

A survey was done in the state of Meghalaya, India covering East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills and Ri-Bhoi districts during May to July, 2019. During the survey 350 specimens were collected from which 11 new species are describedAmblyseius azaliae sp. nov., Amblyseius meghalayensis sp. nov., Euseius fascae sp. nov., Euseius dwakiensis sp. nov., Okiseius jainticus sp. nov., Okiseius unisetatus sp. nov., Phytoseius clavus sp. nov., Phytoseius aonlae sp. nov., Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) barapanicus sp. nov., Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) campana sp. nov., and Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) cherrapunjiensis sp. nov.

Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) from the Atlantic Forest in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with complementary description of Amblyseius impeltatus Denmark &amp; Muma

Phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) have been largely used for the biological control of arthropod pests. However, information on the phytoseiid fauna associated with plants of the Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil is still scanty. Surveys were carried out in two areas of Atlantic Forest in Rio de Janeiro State – Jaguanum island and Paraty. We report 11 species of seven genera from all three subfamilies. A complementary re-description is provided for Amblyseius impeltatus Denmark &amp; Muma, 1973 and measurements are provided for ten other species.

Efficacy of natural products and biorationals against two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari : Tetranychidae) infesting brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) under protected cultivation

ABSTRACT Phytophagous pest mites, especially the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae, causes significant yield losses in brinjal raised under protected conditions. Presently, the emphasis is on development of eco-friendly pest management approaches as an alternative to chemicals. The efficacy of different bio-rationals and natural products was investigated against T. urticae infesting brinjal in nethouse conditions in 2019. The natural products were prepared indigenously and applied twice, at weekly intervals. Application of pepper extract at 30 ml/l followed by neemastra and brahmastra at 50 ml/l caused the highest percent reduction in mite population (>76 and up to 90%, respectively). PAU neem extract at 12 ml/l was highly effective in reducing the mite population by 74.61% as compared to Pongamia extract and Dherek extract both . The anthocorid bug, Blaptostethus pallescens, at 10 nymphs/plant and the chrysopid, Chryosperla zastrowi sillemi, at 3 third instars/plant reduced mite population by 82–84%, respectively, after two releases at weekly intervals, while the phytoseiid mite, Neoseiulus longispinosus, reduced the mite population by up to 87% at a 1:40 predator to prey ratio. All predators were equally effective in reducing the mite population. Results indicated that these natural products and biorationals can be incorporated in integrated mite management programmes in brinjal under protected conditions.