Interactions of two natural enemies of Tetranychus evansi, the fungal pathogen Neozygites floridana (Zygomycetes: Entomophthorales) and the predatory mite, Phytoseiulus longipes (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Tetranychus evansi is an exotic pest of Solanaceous crops in Africa discovered in Zimbabwe in 1979. Two natural enemies, the predatory mite Phytoseiulus longipes and the fungal pathogen Neozygites floridana are important causes of mortality in T. evansi populations in Brazil. The first part of this study assessed the effects of N. floridana on predation and oviposition of P. longipes fed on N. floridana infected T. evansi and T. urticae. No N. floridana hyphal bodies were found in P. longipes after this feeding, demonstrating that N. floridana is not pathogenic to P. longipes and does not affect its oviposition. The second part of the study investigated the time spent on searching for and consuming of eggs on leaf discs with and without N. floridana capilliconidia. Both the searching and the feeding time on the first egg were similar on leaf discs with and without capilliconidia. When P. longipes was offered the choice of feeding on eggs on leaf discs with or without capilliconidia, the numbers of eggs consumed were not different. The only N. floridana effect observed on P. longipes was reduced egg predation. In addition, increased time spent grooming on leaf discs with capilliconidia was observed. P. longipes was efficient in removing most capilliconidia attached to the body through self-grooming behavior. This suggests that although the predator did not avoid areas with capilliconidia, it detected and removed most capilliconidia attached to the body. Increased grooming may account for the lower egg predation rates.     

三唑锡亚致死浓度对土耳其斯坦叶螨运动速率的影响

【目的】通过研究三唑锡亚致死浓度LC10、LC20及致死中浓度LC50对土耳其斯坦叶螨Tetranychus turkestani运动速率的影响,为杀螨剂对土耳其斯坦叶螨在行为学方面影响提供科学依据,并将此作为评价药剂的作用机理的理论依据。【方法】采用叶片浸渍法,明确致死中浓度和亚致死浓度,使用LC-100昆虫行为记录仪对土耳其斯坦叶螨在受到三唑锡亚致死浓度LC10、LC20和LC50刺激下其运动速率进行记录,观察其运动速率在三唑锡不同浓度、不同天数、不同时间段的变化规律。【结果】在三唑锡不同亚致死浓度作用下,第1天到第3天的10:00―12:00,其运动速率比对照低,从第3天10:00―12:00期间到第5天20:00―22:00期间,其运动速率与对照没有显著性差异。在相同亚致死浓度作用下,第1天10:00―12:00期间,土耳其斯坦叶螨的运动速率显著高于15:00―17:00期间和20:00―22:00期间,而在第3天和第5天的3个时间段,对土耳其斯坦叶螨的运动速率没有显著影响。当作用的时段不同时,LC10第1天10:00―12:00显著高于第3天和第5天,而LC20、LC50在10:00―12:00没有显著性差异。三种浓度的第1天15:00―17:00显著低于第3天和第5天。第3及第5天20:00―22:00没有显著性差异。【结论】总体来看,3唑锡亚不同致死浓度对土耳其斯坦叶螨的运动速率影响受浓度、时间影响,浓度越高土耳其斯坦叶螨运动速率越慢;随着时间延长,农药亚致死浓度对土耳其斯坦叶螨的运动速率基本没有影响。     

Diapause incidence in the two-spotted spider mite increases due to predator presence, not due to selective predation

We recently reported evidence for increased diapause incidence in the spider mite Tetranychus urticae in presence of the predatory mite Typhlodromus pyri. This effect may arise from (1) selective predation on non-diapause spider mites, (2) predator-induced diapause in spider mites, or (3) both. Using a different strain of T. urticae, we first recovered increased diapause incidence in association with predators. Then, we tested for selective feeding in two-choice experiments with equal numbers of non-diapause and diapause spider mites. We found that the predatory mite had a significant preference for the latter. This indicates that increased diapause incidence in association with predatory mites is not due to selective predation. Therefore, predator-mediated physiological induction of diapause seems a more likely explanation. The cues leading to induction appear to relate to the predators, not their effects, since predation simulated by spider-mite removal or puncturing did not significantly affect diapause incidence. Why spider mites benefit from this response, remains an open question.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with a corrected cover date.     

北京地区朱砂叶螨在蔬菜集约化栽培下的种群动态

为了明确集约化栽培管理模式对蔬菜上朱砂叶螨Tetranychus cinnabarinus(Boisduval)的种群数量及动态的影响,2008年在中国农科院蔬菜花卉所塑料棚和露地春、秋茬5种蔬菜上,调查了该螨的种群动态。结果表明,6月中旬春棚的朱砂叶螨种群数量达到高峰期,6月下旬后则明显下降;露地春茬菜豆、茄子、甜椒和黄瓜于6月上旬始见叶螨发生,有螨株率比单株螨量增长迅速,番茄上未发现叶螨。塑料棚和露地秋茬菜豆、茄子和黄瓜上朱砂叶螨发生数量低于13.3头/株,番茄、甜椒寄主上均未发现叶螨为害。分析认为,集约化栽培措施是制约朱砂叶螨种群发生数量的关键因素,降雨和高湿等不良的气象条件也有重要影响。     

昆明地区鲜切花产区朱砂叶螨抗药性监测

采用玻片浸渍法测定了昆明地区花卉朱砂叶螨Tetranychus cinnabarinus(Boisduval)对阿维菌素、甲氨基阿维菌素苯甲酸盐、溴虫腈、丁醚脲、炔螨特和哒螨灵的抗性。结果表明,昆明北郊和呈贡地区玫瑰上的朱砂叶螨雌成螨对阿维菌素与甲氨基阿维菌素苯甲酸盐产生了极高的抗药性,阿维菌素对2个地区的朱砂叶螨的LC50分别为40.25mg·L-1和19.67mg·L-1,相对毒力指数分别为敏感品系的2441.08倍和1192.86倍;甲氨基阿维菌素苯甲酸盐对其LC50分别为118.18mg·L-1和9.24mg·L-1,相对毒力指数是敏感品系的2805.73倍和219.35倍。昆明北郊的朱砂叶螨对溴虫腈的相对毒力指数是敏感品系的2371.40倍,呈贡和晋宁分别为162.01倍和173.38倍。丁醚脲对北郊、呈贡和晋宁朱砂叶螨的LC50分别为244.58mg·L-1、385.41mg·L-1和54.93mg·L-1,相对毒力指数在3.01倍～21.10倍之间。北郊、呈贡和晋宁的朱砂叶螨种群对炔螨特和哒螨灵的LC50分别为155.39mg·L-1、424.49mg·L-1和62.70mg·L-1,其相对毒力指数是敏感品系的6.45倍、17.63倍和2.60倍。朱砂叶螨对药剂抗药性水平趋势从高到低为:阿维菌素、甲氨基阿维菌素苯甲酸盐>溴虫腈、丁醚脲>炔螨特、哒螨灵,抗性最高的地区为昆明北郊,晋宁相对较低。     

Fumigant activity of essential oils and their components from Eucalyptus codonocarpa and E. dives against Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae) at three temperatures

Essential oils derived from eighteen species of the Myrtaceae family native to Australia, and major constituents of two oils selected from these oils were tested for their fumigant activity against adult females and eggs of Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) at 5, 15 and 25°C. Essential oils of Eucalyptus codonocarpa and Eucalyptus dives showed the highest fumigant activity against female adults at 10 μl/l at 15 and 25°C. Among major constituents of the two essential oils, piperitone was the most effective against female adults, followed by terpinene‐4‐ol at 10 μl/l at all three temperatures. The two essential oils and these two constituents lowered egg hatchability at 10 μl/l at 25°C. Our results suggest that piperitone should be further investigated as a potential fumigant against T. urticae.     

温度对加州新小绥螨以截形叶螨为猎物的发育及繁殖的影响

在15～35℃、RH80%～85%条件下,研究了加州新小绥螨Neoseiulus (Amblyseius) californicus (Mcgregor)以截形叶螨Tetranychus truncatus Ehara为猎物时,不同螨态的发育和实验种群生命表。结果表明,加州新小绥螨在此温度范围内能完成世代发育,世代发育历期随着温度升高而逐渐缩短。该螨能适应35℃的高温条件,雌性的发育历期最短仅为6.14d。平均产卵期和平均寿命均随着温度的上升逐渐缩短。20℃～25℃时,该螨的平均产卵量最大,达53.73粒/雌。净增殖率在20℃时最高(48.2525),且雌雄性比最大。15℃时内禀增长率和周限增长率均最低,分别为0.0638和1.0659,种群倍增时间最长(10.8669d),35℃时内禀增长率和周限增长率均最高,分别为0.1954和1.2158,种群倍增时间最短(3.5477d)。     

Papaya transformed with the Galanthus nivalis GNA gene produces a biologically active lectin with spider mite control activity

Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) lectin has previously been shown to have anti-feedant and insecticidal activity towards sap-sucking insects. However, its effectiveness against plant-parasitic mites has not been demonstrated. In this study, the commercial papaya (Carica papaya L.) cultivar Kapoho, which is highly susceptible to mites, was transformed with the snowdrop lectin (G. nivalis agglutin [GNA]) gene. Polymerase chain reaction confirmed the presence of the transgene and six independent transformed lines were selected for expression analysis. Western blot analysis showed that the lines expressed a recombinant protein with a molecular weight similar to that of the native snowdrop lectin. Leaf extracts containing the recombinant GNA protein agglutinated trypsinized rabbit erythrocytes thus, showing the GNA protein to be biologically active. ELISA and indirect measurement from the agglutination assay showed there to be variation in GNA expression among the lines produced. A laboratory bioassay using carmine spider mites (Tetranychus cinnabarinus) suggested improved pest resistance in the transgenic papaya plants. This is the first report that a transgenic plant expressing the GNA gene possesses enhanced resistance to a plant-parasitic mite.