Ambulatory migration in mites (Acari: Tetranychidae, Phytoseiidae) to new leaves of moso bamboo shoots.

The migratory behaviour of two tetranychid pest species, Aponychus corpuzae and Schizotetranychus nanjingensis, and one phytoseiid, Typhlodromus bambusae, was studied in several monocultural bamboo forests in Fujian Province, China. The aim of the study was to assess how the ambulatory immigration of tetranychid and phytoseiid mites from the ground to new leaves is affected by a sticky barrier around the stem, by the age of bamboo shoots or by shoot density. The results show that while the sticky barrier is particularly effective at disrupting the ambulatory immigration from the ground to new leaves of S. nanjinigensis to 1-year-old shoots and of A. corpuzae to 3-year-old shoots, it has no significant effect on the immigration of the phytoseiid mite.