Biological Control of Phytophagous Mites
Biological control is the beneficial action of predators, parasites, pathogens and competitors in controlling pests (including insects, mites, weeds and plant diseases) and their damage. Different species of phytophagous mites including spider mites, fals
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Abstract
Biological control is the beneficial action of predators, parasites, pathogens and competitors in controlling pests (including insects, mites, weeds and plant diseases) and their damage. Different species of phytophagous mites including spider mites, false spider mites, eriophyid or worm mites and bulb mites are naturally controlled by different predaceous mites, mite predaceous insects and acaropathogens (including viruses, fungi, bacteria, etc.). Predaceous mites are also commonly known as micropredators, and they belong to families Phytoseiidae, Stigmaeidae, Bdellidae, Cunaxidae, Tydeidae, Anystidae, Cheyletidae and Erythraeidae. Some representatives of Phytoseiidae and Stigmaeidae have been reported very useful in managing pest mites on different fruit crops, field crops and ornamental plants both under field conditions and under protected cultivation. Phytoseiid mites Neoseiulus californicus, Amblyseius fallacis, Phytoseiulus persimilis, Metaseiulus occidentalis and Amblyseius swirskii are reported to control pest mites, white flies, scale insects and thrips in some conditions. Insect predators particularly beetles, Stethorus spp. and Oligota spp., and thrips have also been reported managing successfully pest mites. Microbial diseases caused by viruses and fungi (order Entomophthorales) are also reported controlling mite pests in some circumstances. Some spider mites, galumnid mites and eriophyid mites are also reported to reduce damage by weeds. Keywords
Predaceous mites • Microbes • Weeds Biological control is the beneficial action of predators, parasites, pathogens and competitors in controlling pests (including insects, mites, weeds and plant disease) and their damage. Biocontrol provided by these living organisms (collectively known as ‘natural enemies’) is especially important for reducing the numbers of pest mites. It can be an important component of integrated pest management (IPM). © Springer Science+Business Media Singapore 2016 M.S. Dhooria, Fundamentals of Applied Acarology, DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-1594-6_20
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20 Biological Control of Phytophagous Mites
The intent of biological control is not to eradicate pests but to keep them at tolerable levels at which they cause no appreciable harm. Conservation, augmentation and classical biological control (also called importation) are tactics for harnessing the effects of natural enemies. Biological control may occur naturally in the field or result from manipulation or introduction of biological control agents by people. Weeds are the unwanted plants and compete with main crops for nutrients, moisture and sunlight resulting in decreased crop quality, serving as alternate hosts of mite pests, higher production costs and reduced crop yields. These unwanted plants (weeds) are sometimes highly damaged by some host-specific mites resulting in their destruction. So weed control is also considered from natural control point of view in this chapter. To get the greatest benefit from both natural control and biological control, it is necessa
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