TY  - JOUR
JF  - Acarologia
T1  - Effects of pesticide application and Neoseiulus barkeri on  spider mite control using commercialized Neoseiulus californicus in a Japanese pear greenhouse
VL  - 65
IS  - 3
SP  - 771
EP  - 781
PY  - 2025
SN  - 0044-586X
SN  - 2107-7207
PB  - Les Amis d'Acarologia
AU  - Mikawa, Yuya
AU  - Munkhtumur, Mungunzaya
AU  - Kawamura, Taichi
AU  - Yokoyama, Akio
AU  - Mori, Kotaro
AU  - Toyama, Masatoshi
AU  - Aizawa, Mineaki
AU  - Sonoda, Shoji
UR  - https://doi.org/10.24349/m6wg-dwoc
DO  - 10.24349/m6wg-dwoc
DA  - 2025-08-05
ET  - 2025-08-05
KW  - biological control
KW  - microsatellite
KW  - phytoseiids
KW  - population dynamics
KW  - species identification
AB  - A predator-release device with a waterproof shelter protecting a slow-release sachet containing Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) has become commercially available for spider mite control. In this study, we examined the population dynamics of spider mites and phytoseiid mites in a Japanese pear greenhouse equipped with predator-release devices during 2019–2021. The presence of commercialized N. californicus on pear leaves before noticeable spider mite occurrence was confirmed during each of the survey years. Our results demonstrated that the spider mite density remained low for the first two years, but a notable spider mite outbreak occurred in the final year, presumably because a fungicide highly toxic to N. californicus was used before the release of the commercialized N. californicus individuals. Results also demonstrated that Neoseiulus barkeri Hughes (Acari: Phytoseiidae), the second dominant phytoseiid mite species, increased its relative proportion in the summer and possibly affected spider mite occurrence through intraguild predation. These results suggest that avoiding harmful pesticides and elucidating interactions among phytoseiid mite species are crucially important for more effective utilization of commercialized N. californicus for spider mite control.
ER -