Twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae), is a major arthropod pest of greenhouses, feeding on over 300 plant species ( Jeppson et al., 1975 , van de Vrie, 1985 ). Twospotted spider mite (TSM) feeds within leaf cells
The twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae), is one of the most destructive mite pests of greenhouse-grown horticultural crops, feeding on over 300 plant species ( Jeppson et al., 1975 ; van de Vrie, 1985 ), and, as
[ Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae)] is one of the most damaging agricultural pests worldwide. This insect can cause potential damage to more than 1100 plant species, including different eggplant species ( Adeniji and Aloyce, 2012 ; Rakha et al
The twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, is a serious pest of many nursery crops. Regular acaricide applications are required to maintain acceptable population levels of this pest. Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot is a commercially available predator used to control T. urticae populations. The effects of acaricide residues were tested on P. persimilis and T. urticae using a leaf disk system. Both species were exposed to residues for 24 hours 1, 3, 7, and 14 days after acaricide application. Abamectin, Gowan 1725, hexythiazox, horticultural oil, neem oil, pyridaben, and spionosyn residues caused no mortality to P. persimilis 1, 3, 7, or 14 days after application. Chlorfenapyr was harmful to both species at all times after application. Bifenthrin residue was toxic to P. persimilis at all times after application, but was only harmful to T. urticae up to one week after application. Tetranychus urticae mortality from Gowan 1725, horticultural oil, and neem oil residues was significantly greater than the control 24 hours after application, but not thereafter. Tetranychus urticae mortality from hexythiazox and spinosad residues was not significantly greater than the control. Proper pesticide selection may create favorable conditions for release of P. persimilis and reduce acaricide dependency.
Potted anthurium is becoming an important indoor flowering foliage plant because of its unique attractive appearance and continuous growth and flowering under interior conditions. However, an interior environment, with controlled optimal temperatures and relative humidity and living plants, is an ideal niche for pest development. Pests such as thrips and two-spotted spider mite on Anthurium have been great challenges to the interiorscape industry because many pesticides have been rigorously restricted for interior use. Thus, exploiting the genetic potential of cultivar resistance may be the best approach for the control of these pests. In this study, eight of the most popular Anthurium cultivars were evaluated for their resistance to a natural infestation of thrips (Hercinothrips femoralis) and two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) under three light levels: 4, 8, and 16 μmol·m-2·s-1, temperatures of 23.8 to 26.7 °C and a relative humidity of 60%. Results indicated that significant resistant differences exist among cultivars. The cultivars most resistant to thrips were not the most resistant to mite and vice versa. Cultivars that exhibited moderate resistance to thrips were also moderately resistant to mite. Low light intensity appeared to be a factor influencing thrips infestation since control plants that grew under a light intensity of 200 μmol·m-2·s-1 had no observed thrips damage. On the other hand, two-spotted spider mite infestation was not influenced by light intensity.
Buddleia taxa were assessed for two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch) resistance using a leaf disk bioassay, a novel shell vial bioassay and a field trial. Leaf pubescence and chemistry were examined for their role in two-spotted spider mite resistance. Results from bioassays and field sampling identified highly resistant taxa including B. fallowiana Balif. `Alba' and B. davidii × B. fallowiana Franch. `Cornwall Blue' as well as susceptible taxa including B. davidii Franch. `African Queen' and B. lindleyana Fort. ex Lindl. `Gloster'. The shell vial bioassay was an accurate predictor of field resistance to spider mite. Leaf pubescence was quantified by calculating the collective length of trichome branches per square millimeter of leaf surface area [effective branch length (EBL)]. EBL values ranged from 39 to 162 mm·mm-2 of leaf surface area among Buddleia taxa. Resistance was positively correlated with increased pubescence. Removal of pubescence by peeling resulted in increased oviposition of two-spotted spider mites. Exposing female two-spotted spider mites to a methylene chloride extract of B. davidii × B. fallowiana `Cornwall Blue' using a modified shell vial bioassay resulted in reduced oviposition and a methylene chloride extract of B. davidii `African Queen' resulted in no difference in oviposition when compared with a control. While pubescence is the best indicator of resistance to the two-spotted spider mite in Buddleia taxa, it is possible that defensive compounds are involved.
The two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch.) has a worldwide distribution and is one of the most harmful agricultural pests for a variety of plant species. To reveal a visible light wavelength that reduces the population growth rate (as r m, unit: d–1) of the mite, we investigated the r m under wavelength peaks of 468, 515, and 658 nm with half bandwidths of 23, 44, and 22 nm using blue, green, and red light-emitting diodes, respectively. In all treatments, light intensity was set at 2.3 W·m–2 with a light period of 16 h·d–1, and air temperature was set at 25 °C. The survival percentage (l x) and the number of eggs deposited per female (m x) on each age (x, unit: d) were determined to calculate the r m by the following equation: ∑exp(–r m · x)· l x /100 · m x = 1. The r m and the total m x decreased with increasing wavelength. This result shows that the population growth rate can be reduced under red light (658 nm).
Eighteen strawberry genotypes from the University of California's breeding population were evaluated over two years for yield and fruit size with complete, partial, and no control of natural infestation by Tetranychus urticae Koch. The numbers of mites per leaf accumulated for the entire season or counted at peak infestation, and the number of mite-days accumulated for the season for partial control treatments were 31.7% to 44.0% of corresponding values realized for uncontrolled infestation, and values differed significantly between treatments for all three variables. Yields for the no-control and partial-control treatments averaged 81.6% and 85.0% of the yields obtained with complete spidermite suppression for the 2 trial years; fruit sizes were 95.1% and 92.0% for corresponding comparisons. Yield and fruit size differed significantly between the complete-control treatment and any level of infestation, but statistically significant differences between partial and complete mite control treatments were detected only for fruit size in a single year. Analysis of variance demonstrated significant or highly significant variation due to control level, genotype, and their interactions for both yield and fruit size, but resolution of variance components demonstrated that genetic × treatment interactions explained just 0% to 8% of the phenotypic variance for yield and fruit size in a 2-year evaluation. Genotypic variances, those reflecting genetic effects that were stable across treatments, were at least 9.3 times as large as interaction variances for these traits. There appears to be no evidence for partial resistance that might be expressed at intermediate levels of spidermite infestation.
Abstract
Resistance to the twospotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch) of 18 cultivars of ivy geranium [Pelargonium peltatum (L.) L’Her ex Ait.] was evaluated under greenhouse conditions by mass screening, by measuring fecundity on isolated leaves, and by paired leaf tests for selected cultivars. ‘Sybil Holmes’, ‘Yale’, and ‘Cornell’ were among the most susceptible, whereas ‘Double Lilac White’, ‘Sunset’, and ‘Salmon Queen’ were relatively mite-free. ‘Madeline Crozy’ and ‘Cornell’ were preferred for oviposition over the resistant ‘Double Lilac White’. Mite resistance was not related to density of simple or glandular leaf trichomes, but there was an apparent relationship between mite susceptibility and severity of oedema.
Abstract
Mite resistance of strawberry, Fragaria ☓ ananassa Duch, based on the ability to support low populations of the twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, was assessed in the progeny of 15 crosses at two locations. The best parents were Washington State University selections 72–83M, 75-7-5 and 75-57-3 and the poorest parents were the susceptible cultivars ‘Totem’ and ‘Rainier’. General combining ability estimates for mite resistance were higher than specific combining ability estimates. Heritability estimates, based on parent/offspring regression, were high and ranged from 0.62 to 0.92. These observations suggest that additive genetic factors play a major role in the inheritance of mite resistance.