Biological Control of Two-Spotted Spider Mite, Tetranychus urticae with Predatory Phytoseiid Mites Neoseiulus californicus and Amblyseius swirskii in Strawberry (Acari: Tetranychidae: Phytoseiidae)

Abstract

The two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch (TSSM), considered as a key arthropod pest affecting strawberries and other crops worldwide. Extensive use of pesticides negatively impacts the human environment and beneficial microorganisms. Therefore, the approach for using biological control should be applied to suppress the population of spider mites in fruits and other crops. This study evaluated the influence of releasing the two predatory phytoseiid mites Neoseiulus californicus (Mc Gregor) and Amblyseius swirskii A.-H. to control T. urticae on strawberry plants growing in the greenhouse. The results suggested that releasing N. californicus and A. swirskii significantly decreased the number of T. urticae eggs, nymphs and adults compared to untreated (control) plants. The highest overall mean number of survived nymphs and adults was observed on untreated leaflets, while the lowest survived ones were found on leaflets exposed to N. californicus. The release of A. swirskii on leaflets decreased the number of nymphs and adults, but significantly less than N. californicus treatment. In addition, the highest overall mean consumption rate for nymphs and adults of spider mites were noticed on N. californicus treatment, reaching 100% at the end of the evaluation. The present research proposes that releasing N. californicus could be a promising strategy for T. urticae suppression in strawberries.