This paper presents and compares four mathematical models with unique spatial effects for a prey-predator system, with Tetranychus urticae as prey and Phytoseiulus persimilis as predator. Tetranychus urticae, also known as two-spotted spider mite, is a harmful plant-feeding pest that causes damage to over 300 species of plants. Its predator, Phytoseiulus persimilis, a mite in the Family Phytose...

Intraguild predation of Neoseiulus cucumeris Oudemans (Phytoseiidae) by soil-dwelling predators, Dalotia coriaria Kraatz (Staphylinidae) may limit the utility of open rearing systems in greenhouse thrips management programs. We determined the rate of D. coriaria invasion of N. cucumeris breeder material presented in piles or sachets, bran piles (without mites), and sawdust piles. We also observ...

Typhlodromus bambusae Ehara is a dominant predator species associated with the spider mite Schizotetranychus nanjingensis Ma & Yuan on the giant bamboo ( Phyllostachys pubscens ) in Fujian, China. In the field, increased densities of T. bambusae were associated with reduced densities of S. nanjingensis on bamboo leaves. Laboratory studies at 22-30¡C on a diet of S. nanjingensis showed that fema...

A microinjection technique has resulted in stable transformation of the western predatory mite Metaseiulus occidentalis. Early preblastoderm eggs within gravid females were microinjected. The needle was inserted through the cuticle of gravid females into the egg, or the tissue immediately surrounding the egg. This maternal injection method resulted in relatively high levels of survival and tran...

Phytoseius ibrahimi Döker & Kazak sp. nov. is described and illustrated. The genus Paragigagnathus Amitai & Grinberg, represented by P. insuetus (Livshitz & Kuznetsov), and Neoseiulus neomarginatus Stathakis, Kapaxidi & Papadoulis, are recorded from Turkey for the first time. Identification keys for the Turkish species of Phytoseius Ribaga and Neoseiulus Hughes are provided.

Aponychus corpuzae is a pest of bamboo in Fujian, China. The predatory mite Amblyseius longispinosus was explored as a potential biocontrol agent against Ap. corpuzae in a series of experiments on its predation on Ap. corpuzae . The rate of prey consumption (per predator female) increased linearly with temperature from 1.35 at 15°C to 5.22 at 35°C (the relationship can be described by Y = -1.00...

This work describes the results of a study of the phytoseiid mites collected from plants in two natural ecosystems in the State of São Paulo, Brazil-Cerrado and Atlantic Forest. In this study, 40 phytoseiid species are reported. Measurements of different structures are given for species for which measurements for the respective São Paulo populations were not previously provided. This study also...

The adaptive canalization hypothesis predicts that highly fitness-relevant traits are canalized via past selection, resulting in low phenotypic plasticity and high robustness to environmental stress. Accordingly, we hypothesized that the level of phenotypic plasticity of male body size of the predatory mites Phytoseiulus persimilis (low plasticity) and Neoseiulus californicus (high plasticity) ...