Green and nanoacaricides including essential oil (EO) nanoemulsions are important compounds to provide new, active, safe acaricides and lead to improvement of avoiding the risk of synthetic acaricides. This study was carried out for the first time on eriophyid mites to develop nanoemulsion of garlic essential oil by ultrasonic emulsification and evaluate its acaricidal activity against the two eriophyid olive mites Aceria oleae Nalepa and Tegolophus hassani (Keifer). Acute toxicity of nanoemulsion was also studied on male rats. Garlic EO was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and the major compounds were diallyl sulfide (8.6%), diallyl disulfide (28.36%), dimethyl tetrasulfide (15.26%), trisulfide,di-2-propenyl (10.41%), and tetrasulfide,di-2-propenyl (9.67%). Garlic oil nanoemulsion with droplet size 93.4 nm was formulated by ultrasonic emulsification for 35 min. Emulsification time and oil and surfactant ratio correlated to the emulsion droplet size and stability. The formulated nanoemulsion showed high acaricidal activity against injurious eriophyid mites with LC 298.225 and 309.634 μg/ml, respectively. No signs of nanoemulsion toxicity were noted in treating rats; thus, it may be considered non-toxic to mammals. Stability of garlic oil nanoemulsion, high acaricidal activity, and the absence of organic toxic solvents make the formulation that may be a possible acaricidal product. Results suggest the possibility of developing suitable natural nanoacaricide from garlic oil.

Mites associated with abandoned fig trees in Egypt were observed during a 2-year study. This study included species diversity and seasonal fluctuations as well as some biological aspects of common eriophyoid species. Three phytophagous species consisted of the fig bud mite Aceria ficus (Cotte), the fig leaf mite Rhyncaphytoptus ficifoliae Keifer and the twospotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch, representing a basic trophic level, were fed upon by three of predacious mites (Pronematus ubiquitus (McGregor), Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot, Agistemus exsertus Gonzalez). Population abundance of the injurious mites were affected by the prevailing climatic conditions, action of predators and leaf age. A control measure of one summer pesticide (abamectin) application throughout the year seemed to be the most successful management of harmful mites. Life table parameters showed that the population of A. ficus multiplied 28.52 times in a generation time of 17.90 days, while R. ficifoliae population increasod 16.50 times in a generation time of 14.61 days. Field and laboratory studies indicated that the viviparity is a typical character in the reproduction of R. ficifoliae.

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The mango bud Aceria mangiferae Sayed and the mango rust mite Metaculus mangiferae (Attiah) were studied for two years in an abandoned mango orchard in Egypt. The eriophyid mites were fed upon by two predatory phytoseiid mites Typhlodromus mangiferus Zaher and El-Borolossy and Typhlodromips swirskii (Athias-Henriot). Population abundance of the eriophyid mango prey were affected by climatic conditions, predation, shady and sunny zones and vertical distribution. A control measure of one winter acaricides treatment, applied after budding, seemed to be the most successful management of the harmful mites. Higher temperature enhanced development of A. mangiferae and M. mangiferae. Some of the life table parameters varied greatly, especially at 25°C and 60 % RH and 35°C and 50 % RH. Field and laboratory studies indicated that viviparity is a typical character in the reproduction of M. mangiferae.