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Synergistic effect of Beauveria bassiana and spirodiclofen on the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae)

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Abstract

The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), is one of the most important pests in agriculture. Due to its short life cycle and high reproductive rate, this pest has become resistant to most acaricides. Therefore, finding alternative control strategies for this damaging pest is necessary. Application of microbiological agents with minimum concentrations of acaricides is a very suitable tactic in integrated pest management. In the present study, lethal effects of a chemical acaricide – spirodiclofen, and an Iranian strain of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana, were evaluated on different life stages of the two-spotted spider mite on two host plants, bean and cucumber. In the next step, compatibility of acaricide with the fungus was studied regarding conidial germination and vegetative growth of the fungus in the presence of different concentrations of the acaricide. Finally, the acaricide at rates of LC25 with the fungus at LC50 were sprayed on adult female mites. The results showed that immature stages of T. urticae were more susceptible to the acaricide whereas the adults were more susceptible to the fungus. Also, mites reared on cucumber were significantly more susceptible to the acaricide and fungus than those reared on bean. Spirodiclofen and the fungus had a synergistic effect; percentage of mortality for fungus infection was 48.6% and 53.5% on bean and cucumber, respectively, while it was 80.6% on bean and 84.5% on cucumber when the mite was sprayed with both the fungus and the acaricide.

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Acknowledgments

This publication is part of the first author’s thesis funded by the University of Tehran. We thank the Center of Excellence for Biological Control of Plant Pests for financial support, and greatly acknowledge the technical help of Mahmood Fazeli.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, College of Abureyhan, University of Tehran, Pakdasht, Iran

    Farzaneh-Sadat Seyed-Talebi & Katayoon Kheradmand

  2. Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

    Reza Talaei-Hassanloui & Khalil Talebi-Jahromi

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  1. Farzaneh-Sadat Seyed-Talebi
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  2. Katayoon Kheradmand
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  3. Reza Talaei-Hassanloui
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Correspondence to Reza Talaei-Hassanloui.

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Seyed-Talebi, FS., Kheradmand, K., Talaei-Hassanloui, R. et al. Synergistic effect of Beauveria bassiana and spirodiclofen on the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) . Phytoparasitica 42, 405–412 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12600-013-0377-y

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