Dispersal ofAmblyseius swirskii(Acari: Phytoseiidae) on High-Tunnel Bell Peppers in Presence or Absence ofPolyphagotarsonemus latus(Acari: Tarsonemidae)

Abstract

Amblyseius swirskiiAthias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is a predatory mite used to control thrips (Thysanoptera), whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci Genn., Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), and broad mites (BMs) (Polyphagotarsonemus latus Banks, Acari: Tarsonemidae). Dispersal of A. swirskii, using the ornamental pepper “Explosive Ember” as a banker plant was evaluated for control of BMs in high-tunnel peppers. Open-canopy plants (5 weeks old) versus closed-canopy plants (10-weeks old) were used to evaluate the effect of plant connectedness in A. swirskii dispersal, in the presence (two females per plant) and absence of BMs. Plots consisted of a single central banker plant and four bell peppers extending linearly north and south. Sets of all treatments were destructively sampled 1, 4, and 7 days after releasing A. swirskii. Within 24 h, A. swirskii dispersed four plants away from the banker plants (1 m), regardless of the state of the canopy. Canopy connectedness did increase the presence of A. swirskii on the crop plants. Predatory mite numbers on closed-canopy treatments doubled within the 7-day sampling period, whereas no significant increase was observed on open-canopy treatments. The presence of BMs had no significant effect on the movement of A. swirskii. The results suggest further experiments with A. swirskii and banker plants for control of BMs is warranted.

Can the introduction of companion plants increase biological control services of key pests in organic squash?

“…Low numbers of A. swirskii may also be explained by their high dispersal capacity. Amblyseius swirskii are highly mobile and can move from plant to plant using the connections between the leaves and plastic mulch as bridges (Lopez et al, 2017). Moreover, they can be airborne, especially gravid females in search of prey or alternative food sources.…”

“…Sweet alyssum was also attractive to predators such as Orius sp., and in many instances, syrphid flies (Syrphidae) were observed visiting alyssum flowers, but hardly any syrphids were collected by the sampling methods implemented. In contrast, high Amblyseius swirskii are highly mobile and can move from plant to plant using the connections between the leaves and plastic mulch as bridges (Lopez et al, 2017).…”

“…The option of targeting two pests with a single natural enemy has positive implications for biological control and resembles pest‐predator complexes in natural conditions (Messelink et al, 2010; Calvo et al, 2015). Because A. swirskii is a generalist predatory mite species it has the additional capacity to feed on pollen from various plants species (e.g., pepper, cattail, and others), increasing the chance of establishment at early stages of the crop when pests are absent but flowering plants are present (Calvo et al, 2015; Lopez et al, 2017). Despite its wide use in vegetable crops, most studies investigating the performance of A. swirskii have been conducted in greenhouse‐grown vegetables (Stansly et al, 2018; Kheirodin et al, 2020) and very few have evaluated its performance and establishment in squash crops (Calvo et al, 2015).…”

Predatory Mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) in Agro-Ecosystems and Conservation Biological Control: A Review and Explorative Approach for Forecasting Plant-Predatory Mite Interactions and Mite Dispersal

“…Jung and Croft (2001a) reported a walking speed ranging from 0.1 to 0.4 mm/s for N. fallacis (2.7 h to move through 1 m). Raworth et al (1994) indicated than N. californicus would be able to walk 10 m within 1 h at 25 • C. Lopez et al (2017) studied the dispersal of A. swirskii to determine how it moved from bank plants to crops. They showed that canopy connectedness increased the dispersal of A. swirskii to the crops, whereas no impact of the prey Polyphagotarsonemus latus Banks was observed.…”

Functions of banker plants for biological control of arthropod pests in protected culture.

“…Within 24 h, A. swirskii dispersed within only 1 m from the banker plant. Canopy connectedness increased the number of predatory mites on the crop plants [27]. Spider mites are the most injurious pest in commercial plant nurseries.…”