Publication Date

1994

Publisher

Western Australian Department of Agriculture

City

Perth

Abstract

The twospotted mite (Tetranychus urticae) is one of the major pests of horticultural crops in Australia, and can cause severe damage in deciduous tree fruit crops such as apples, pears and peaches if left unchecked (Seymour 1982).

This study was conducted to determine whether the predatory mite Metaseiulus occidentalis, once introduced into orchards in the south west of Western Australia, could survive through the winter period and repopulate the orchard the following season. Two orchards in the Manjimup region where M. occidentalis had been released in the early summer of 1990/91, were selected for the study.

On-tree shelters were placed on trees prior to winter, and population densities of M. occidentalis and the pest mite Tetranychus urticae harbouring in them were recorded. Leaf monitoring was carried out to determine on-tree mite population densities before and after the winter period. Abundance of the self-sustaining Chilean predator mite, Phytoseiulus persimilis, which is present in south west orchards was also recorded.

Number of Pages

52

Keywords

Twospotted mite (Tetranychus urticae), Predatory mite (Metaseiulus occidentalis), Apple, Orchards, Western Australia

Disciplines

Agricultural Science | Biosecurity | Entomology | Fruit Science | Plant Sciences

Comments

Manjimup Horticultural Research Centre

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