Bioacaricides in Crop Protection-What Is the State of Play?

Growing demands for environmentally safe and sustainable pest management have increased interest in biopesticides as alternatives to synthetic chemical pesticides. This review presents the current status of bioacaricides, defined as commercial biopesticide products based on microorganisms (microbial acaricides) and biologically active substances of microbial, plant or animal origin (biochemicals and semiochemicals) used in crop protection against spider mites (Tetranychidae) and other plant-feeding mites. The most important microbial bioacaricides are mycopesticides, which are products manufactured from living propagules of s.

Lethal and sublethal effects of carlina oxide on Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae) and Neoseiulus californicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae).

Background: Tetranychus urticae Koch, is a polyphagous and damaging pest, presenting several resistant populations worldwide. Among new and more environmentally friendly control tools, botanical pesticides represent a valuable alternative to synthetic ones within integrated pest management strategies. Accordingly, we investigated the lethal and sublethal effects of carlina oxide isolated from Carlina acaulis (Asteraceae) roots on T.

Epidemiological Investigations and Molecular Characterization of ' Phytoplasma solani' in Grapevines, Weeds, Vectors and Putative Vectors in Western Sicily, (Southern Italy).

Bois noir is caused by ' Phytoplasma solani', and it is one of the most important and widespread diseases in the Euro-Mediterranean region. There are complex interactions between phytoplasma and grapevines, weeds, and vectors. These ecological relationships can be tracked according to molecular epidemiology.

Mites of the genus Typhlodromus (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from Southern France: combined morphological and molecular approaches for species identification.

Mites of the family Phytoseiidae are important predators for biological control applications. They occur naturally in ecosystems but their overall distribution is not completely known. This study presents results of surveys carried out in the south of France.

Biological and life table parameters of Typhlodromus laurentii and Iphiseius degenerans (Acari, Phytoseiidae) fed on Panonychus citri and pollen of Oxalis pes-caprae under laboratory conditions.

Typhlodromus laurentii and Iphiseius degenerans are two generalist phytoseiid mites, broadly spread in the Mediterranean area, especially in citrus orchards. In the present work we report results on various biological and life table parameters of the two phytoseiids, fed on pollen of Oxalis pes-caprae and various stages of the tetranychid Panonychus citri. Iphiseius degenerans had the shortest post embryonic development (6.

Considerations on systematics of the Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata), with definition of a new species group and description of a new species.

The authors debate some aspects of the classification of the Phytoseiidae, especially the subfamily Typhlodrominae. Within this taxon, the rhenanus group is the most numerous species group of Typhlodromus (Anthoseius), with 206 nominal species. Detailed observation of morphological characters of the species in this group showed a considerable variation, suggesting the presence of different natural lineages.