Synthetic pesticide use has been the dominant form of pest control since the 1940s. However, biopesticides are emerging as sustainable pest control alternatives, with prevailing use in organic agricultural production systems. Foremost among botanical biopesticides is the limonoid azadirachtin, whose perceived environmental safety has come under debate and scrutiny in recent years. Coconut produ...

Comparative spermatology may provide characteristics that can be useful in systematics. Previous observations on sperm structure of the solifugid Eusimonia mirabilis revealed that the most similar arachnid sperm cells are found within the Actinotrichida (Acari). The general morphology of the testis and the tendency to form sperm aggregates are also similar in both taxa. Since knowledge of sperm...

Surveys in 2001, 2005, and 2006 attempted to determine the role of wildlife in maintenance and dissemination of the tropical bont tick, Amblyomma variegatum (F.) (Acari: Ixodidae), in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Small mammals; birds; white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann); and feral cattle, Bos taurus L., were examined at nine premises, in mountainous rain forest, and in sur...

Coronado A. 2006. Ixodiphagus hookeri Howard, 1907 (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) in the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus Latreille, 1806 (Acari: Ixodidae) in Venezuela. Entomotropica 21(1):61-64. Nymphs of the ixodid tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus were found naturally infected by the tiny wasp Ixodiphagus hookeri. The parasitism resulted in the death of the host ticks, as cause of ingestion o...

The utility of USDA-developed Russian and varroa sensitive hygiene (VSH) honey bees, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), was compared with that of locally produced, commercial Italian bees during 2004-2006 in beekeeping operations in Alabama, USA. Infestations of varroa mites, Varroa destructor Anderson & Truman (Acari: Varroidae), were measured twice each year, and colonies that reached e...

The increasing concern over the continued use of pesticides is pressurising apple growers to look for alternatives to chemical pest control. The re-discovery, and subsequent conservation, of the beneficial predatory mite, Anystis baccarum (Linnaeus) (Acari: Anystidae), in Bramley apple orchards in Northern Ireland offers a potential alternative control component for incorporation into integrate...

The predatory mite, Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor, 1954) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is one of the principal natural enemies of tetranychid mites in several countries, promoting efficient control of those mites in several food and ornamental crops. Pest attacks such as that of the spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, 1836 (Acari: Tetranychidae), is one of the problems faced by farmers, especial...

Amblyseius swirskiiAthias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is a predatory mite used to control thrips (Thysanoptera), whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci Genn., Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), and broad mites (BMs) (Polyphagotarsonemus latus Banks, Acari: Tarsonemidae). Dispersal of A. swirskii, using the ornamental pepper "Explosive Ember" as a banker plant was evaluated for control of BMs in high-tunnel peppers...

The previous study showed that the red coloration of the ventral skin of the Japanese newt Cynops pyrrhogaster was associated with the number of carotenoid vesicles and the content of carotenoid in the pigment cell of the skin. To elucidate the mechanism for the red coloration of the skin of the newt, we studied the food habit of the juvenile from the Japanese newt Cynops pyrrhogaster. Sixty-tw...

Little is known about the frequency of water mite ectoparasitism (Acari: Hydrachnida) within and among damselfly species of Central Florida. Here I present a field survey of the assemblage of damselflies and their water mite parasites at the Archbold Biological Station (Lake Placid, FL) during late Mar, 2006. During this period, 4 species of damselfly were abundant: Ischnura hastata (Say) and N...