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Evaluation of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus macropilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) as a biological control agent of the two-spotted spider mite on strawberry plants under greenhouse conditions

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Abstract

The predatory mite Phytoseiulus macropilis is a potential biological control agent of the two-spotted spider mite (TSSM) Tetranychus urticae on strawberry plants. Its ability to control TSSM was recently assessed under laboratory conditions, but its ability to locate and control TSSM under greenhouse conditions has not been tested so far. We evaluated whether P. macropilis is able to control TSSM on strawberry plants and to locate strawberry plants infested with TSSM under greenhouse conditions. Additionally, we tested, in an olfactometer, whether odours play a role in prey-finding by P. macropilis. The predatory mite P. macropilis required about 20 days to achive reduction of the TSSM population on strawberry plants initially infested with 100 TSSM females per plant. TSSM-infested plants attract an average of 27.5 ± 1.0% of the predators recaptured per plant and uninfested plants attracted only 5.8 ± 1.0% per plant. The predatory mites were able to suppress TSSM populations on a single strawberry plant and were able to use odours from TSSM-infested strawberry plants to locate prey in both olfactometer and arena experiments. Hence, it is concluded that P. macropilis can locate and reduce TSSM population on strawberry plants under greenhouse conditions.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. M.W. Sabelis and anonymous reviewers for comments on a previous version of manuscript. Financial support and scholarships were provided by the National Council of Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and by the Minas Gerais State Foundation for Research Aid (FAPEMIG).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agriculture and Livestock Research Enterprise of Minas Gerais (EPAMIG), Vila Gianetti 46, CEP 36570-000, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Hamilton Oliveira, Marcos Antonio Matiello Fadini & Madelaine Venzon

  2. Department of Animal Biology/Entomology, Federal University of Viçosa, Av. PH Rolfs s/n., CEP 36571-000, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Daniela Rezende, Fernanda Rezende & Angelo Pallini

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  1. Hamilton Oliveira
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  2. Marcos Antonio Matiello Fadini
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  3. Madelaine Venzon
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  4. Daniela Rezende
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  5. Fernanda Rezende
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  6. Angelo Pallini
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Correspondence to Marcos Antonio Matiello Fadini.

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Oliveira, H., Fadini, M.A.M., Venzon, M. et al. Evaluation of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus macropilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) as a biological control agent of the two-spotted spider mite on strawberry plants under greenhouse conditions. Exp Appl Acarol 47, 275–283 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-008-9217-z

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