Predation, Reproduction, and Impact of Phytoseiid Mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) on Cyclamen Mite (Acari: Tarsonemidae) on Strawberry

Abstract

Abilities of phytoseiid mites to attack, reproduce, and control cyclamen mite, Phytonemus pallidus (Banks), on strawberry were assessed. In laboratory feeding tests, Typhlodromus pyri Scheuten, Neoseiulus fallacis (Garman), and N. californicus (Chant) attacked P. pallidus most often; Amblyseius andersoni Chant fed on the cycalmen mite most successfully, and Galedromus occidentalis (Nesbitt) had difficulty piercing the hardened body of adults. Net predation was T. pyri > N. fallacis > N. californicus > A. andersoni > G. occidentalis. Although several species fed on cyclamen mites, some are more common on strawberry or are more proven as effective predators of P. pallidus and thus later reproduction and pest control tests were conducted with only 2 species. When held with excess cyclamen mites, survival and immature production of N. fallacis were ≈50% of when feeding on a more preferred prey, Tetranychus urticae Koch and like levels for N. cucumeris (Oudemans), a proven effective predator of P. pallidus. When releases of N. fallacis or N. cucumeris were made to plants with moderate densities of cyclamen mites and T. urticae, pests were controlled sooner and damage to plants was less with N. fallacis than N. cucumeris. Releases of both phytoseiids to plants infested with high densities of only cyclamen mites produced fewer of either N. fallacis or N. cucumeris than when both pests were present, but there was better pest control (less plant damage) and again, N. fallacis gave slightly better control than N. cucumeris. Although N. fallacis gave more rapid control of both pests, N. cucumeris may give longer-term regulation at lower densities. Differences in life histories may dictate that unique methods of release are needed for N. fallacis versus N. cucumeris and mixed releases of both may be effective.