tetranychus

Trichomes are well-known efficient plant defense mechanisms to limit arthropod herbivory, especially in Solanaceae. The present study aims to evaluate the impact of trichome types on the development, survival and dispersal of Tetranychus urticae, and the phytoseiid predatory mite Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) recki. Six Solanum lycopersicum cultivars and two wild Solanum species, S. cheesmaniae and S. peruvianum, presenting contrasting densities and types of trichomes, were considered. Cultivars and species were characterized by counting each trichome type on leaves, petioles and stems...

Recently, the first sprayable RNAi biopesticide, Ledprona, against the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, has been registered at the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae), a group of destructive agricultural and horticultural pests, are notorious for rapid development of insecticide/acaricide resistance. The management options, on the other hand, are extremely limited. RNAi-based biopesticides offer a promising control alternative to address this emerging issue...

In order to discover new meta-diamide compounds with good activity and novel structure, 15 related compounds were designed and synthesized by the bioisosterism principle with cyproflanilide as the lead compound. The insecticidal activities of these compounds against Plutella xylostella and Tetranychus cinnabarinus were tested, and the results of biological activity test showed that some compounds had more than 90% insecticidal activity against Plutella xylostella at 1 mg/L and Tetranychus cinnabarinus at 100 mg/L...

Tetranychus urticae , a globally ubiquitous mite, poses a significant threat to agriculture. Elevated temperatures exacerbate the growth, development, and reproduction of T . urticae , leading to substantial crop damage. In this study, we employed comparative transcriptomic approaches with whole-genome information of T. urticae to identify six Glutathione S-transferase genes (GSTs) implicated in heat stress response. Through comprehensive bioinformatics analyses, we elucidated the tertiary structure and active sites of the corresponding proteins, providing a thorough characterization of these GST genes...

Arthropod herbivory poses a serious threat to crop yield, prompting plants to employ intricate defense mechanisms against pest feeding. The generalist pest two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) inflicts rapid damage and remains challenging due to its broad target range. In this study, we explored the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) response to T. urticae infestation, revealing the induction of abscisic acid (ABA), a hormone typically associated with abiotic stress adaptation, and stomatal closure during water stress...

The European Commission requested the EFSA Panel on Plant Health to evaluate the probability of entry of pests (likelihood of pest freedom at entry), including both regulated and non-regulated pests, associated with unrooted cuttings of the genera Petunia and Calibrachoa produced under physical isolation in Kenya. The relevance of any pest for this opinion was based on evidence following defined criteria, based on the methodology used for High-Risk Plants adapted for the specificity of this assessment. Fourteen EU-regulated pests ( Bemisia tabaci , cowpea mild mottle virus, Liriomyza huidobrensis , Liriomyza sativae , Liriomyza trifolii , potato leafroll virus, potato spindle tuber viroid, Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum , R...

A series of arecoline derivatives with amino acid moieties were designed and synthesised using an acylamide condensation strategy, taking arecoline as the foundational structure. The insecticidal efficacy of these compounds against Aphis craccivora and Tetranychus cinnabarinus was evaluated. Notably, derivatives 3h and 3i demonstrated superior insecticidal activity compared with arecoline. Additionally, 3h and 3i showed good fungicidal effectiveness against two types of plant fungi. Moreover, molecular docking analyses suggested that 3h and 3i could affect the nervous systems of A...

Mitochondrial electron transfer inhibitors at complex II (METI-II), also referred to as succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHI), represent a recently developed class of acaricides encompassing cyflumetofen, cyenopyrafen, pyflubumide and cyetpyrafen. Despite their novelty, resistance has already developed in the target pest, Tetranychus urticae. In this study a new mutation, H146Q in a highly conserved region of subunit B of complex II, was identified in a T. urticae population resistant to all METI-IIs. In contrast to previously described mutations, H146Q is located outside the ubiquinone binding site of complex II...

Menthyl ester of valine (MV) has been developed as a plant defense potentiator to induce pest resistance in crops. In this study, we attempted to establish MV hydrochloride (MV-HCl) in lettuce and tomato crops. When MV-HCl solutions were used to treat soil or leaves of potted tomato and lettuce plants, 1 µM MV-HCl solution applied to potted plant soil was most effective in increasing the transcript level of defense genes such as pathogenesis-related 1 ( PR1 ). As a result, leaf damage caused by Spodoptera litura and oviposition by Tetranychus urticae were significantly reduced...

The two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch) is an agriculturally serious polyphagous pest that has acquired strong resistance against acaricides because of its short life cycle and continuous exposure to acaricides. As an alternative, mite-pathogenic fungi with different modes of action could be used to control the mites. The spider mite has symbiotic microorganisms that could be involved in the physiological and ecological adaptations to biotic stresses. In this study, mite-pathogenic fungi were used to control female adults, and the microbiomes changes in the fungus-infected mites were analyzed...

Some predators prefer to settle on leaf patches with microstructures (e.g., trichomes and domatia), leaving traces on the patches. Herbivorous arthropods, in turn, select leaf patches in response to these traces left by predators. It remains unclear whether traces of predators on leaf patches affect the distribution of herbivorous prey within plants through plant microstructure. Therefore, we examined the distribution of herbivorous mite (Tetranychus urticae) and predatory mite (Phytoseiulus persimilis) by investigating their oviposition pattern...

BACKGROUND: Most studies on efficacy of fungal pathogens and predatory mites against Tetranychus urticae have been done on individual species in the laboratory. We evaluated fungi and predatory mites separately and together against greenhouse populations of T. urticae on chrysanthemum plants. First, effectiveness of the fungal pathogens Beauveria bassiana (Bb88) and Metarhzium anisopliae (Ma129), was compared; then, effectiveness of the predatory mites Phytoseiulus persimilis and Neoseiulus californicus...

To enhance food security, food safety, and environmental health, a bio-based integrated pest management (BIPM) strategy was evaluated at two coastal locations in Lebanon as an alternative to toxic pesticide sprays in commercial high-arched plastic tunnels common in many countries. The evaluation occurred during two cucumber and pepper cropping seasons: spring and fall. At each site, two commercial tunnels were used; farmers' conventional practices were applied in one tunnel, while the BIPM approach was followed in the second tunnel...

Tetranychus urticae , a prominent pest mite in strawberry and vegetable cultivation in China, has developed escalating resistance due to extensive chemical pesticide application. Consequently, there is an urgent need to identify safe and efficacious methods to reduce resistance development. In this study, 38 commercially available plant essential oils (EOs) were screened for their acaricidal potential and ability to inhibit oviposition. The findings revealed that 13 EOs exhibited notable acaricidal activity, with lemon EO demonstrating the highest toxicity, followed by sage, patchouli, frankincense, lemongrass, palmarosa, and oregano EOs...

Despite the rapid advances in sequencing technology, limited genomic resources are currently available for phytophagous spider mites, which include many important agricultural pests. One of these pests is Tetranychus piercei (McGregor), a serious banana pest in East Asia exhibiting remarkable tolerance to high temperature. In this study, we assembled a high-quality genome of T. piercei using a combination of PacBio long reads and Illumina short reads sequencing. With the assistance of chromatin conformation capture technology, 99...

The two-spotted spider mite (TSSM), Tetranychus urticae, is among the most destructive piercing-sucking herbivores, infesting more than 1100 plant species, including numerous greenhouse and open-field crops of significant economic importance. Its prolific fecundity and short life cycle contribute to the development of resistance to pesticides. However, effective resistance loci in plants are still unknown. To advance research on plant-mite interactions and identify genes contributing to plant immunity against TSSM, efficient methods are required to screen large, genetically diverse populations...

Genetically engineered (GE) cotton event MON 88702, producing Mpp51Aa2 (previously mCry51Aa2) from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), controls sucking pests, such as Lygus spp. (Hemiptera: Miridae) and thrips (Thysanoptera). Ingesting high doses of the insecticidal protein resulted in adverse effects on life table parameters of beneficial, predatory Orius spp. (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae). This triggered laboratory studies with more realistic food treatments, including different combinations of prey types with and without Bt protein to further characterize risks to this important group of non-target organisms...

Entomopathogenic fungi play a significant role in regulating insect populations in nature and have potential applications in pest management strategies in different regions. Citrus spp. are among the important horticultural products in northern Iran, and the orchards are affected by different insect pests, especially mealybugs. This study aimed to isolate and identify entomopathogenic fungi associated with citrus orchard pests in northern Iran, focusing on Akanthomyces and Lecanicillium species on mealybugs...

Cassava is susceptible to mites, especially Tetranychus cinnabarinus . Secondary metabolism products such as flavonoids play an important role as antimicrobial metabolites protecting plants against biotic stressors including fungal, pathogen, bacterial, and pest defense. The chalcone synthase (CHS) is the initial step of the phenylpropanoid pathway for producing flavonoids and is the gatekeeper of the pathway. Until recently, the CHS genes family has not been systematically studied in cassava. Thirty-nine CHS genes were identified from the cassava genome database...

Neoseiulus bicaudus is a predatory mite species that could potentially be used for the biological control of spider mites and thrips. Floral resources can provide excellent habitats and abundant nutrients for natural enemies. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of eight floral resources on the longevity, fecundity, and predation ability of N. bicaudus . Among the considered plants, Cnidium monnieri led to the highest longevity (24 days) and fecundity (13.8 eggs) of N. bicaudus , while Tagetes erecta resulted in the lowest longevity (7 days) and fecundity (0...