Neotropical Entomology 34(6): 991-998 (2005) Resistência de PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Ácaro rajado, manejo da resistência, controle químico ABSTRACT -Studies on artificial laboratory selections with abamectin, cross-resistance relationships, and stability of resistance were carried out with Tetranychus urticae Koch to provide basic information for an abamectin resistance management program. Selections for resistance and susceptibility to abamectin were performed in a population of T. urticae, collected from a commercial strawberry field in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. After five selections for resistance and five selections for susceptibility, susceptible (S) and resistant (R) strains of T. urticae to abamectin were obtained. The resistance ratio (R/S) at the LC 50 reached 342-fold values. The toxicity of eight acaricides was evaluated in the R and S strains, observing significant differences (at LC 50 ) between R and S strains for milbemectin, fenpropathrin and chlorfenapyr. Significant correlation was detected between the LC 50 s of abamectin and milbemectin, indicating cross-resistance between these acaricides. No crossresistance was detected for the acaricides fenpyroximate, cyhexatin, propargite and dimethoate. The stability of abamectin resistance was also studied under laboratory conditions. Abamectin resistance was unstable in the absence of selection pressure. For all studied populations (with 75, 50 and 25% of initial frequency of resistant mites), the percentage of resistant mites decreased to levels equal or lower than 15% in six months. The results indicate that milbemectin should be avoided for managing abamectin resistance in T. urticae.

The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (green-form) (Acari: Tetranychidae), is a worldwide pest of many plant species, including several agricultural crops (Flechtmann, 1985; Tomczyk and Kropczyńska, 1985). This tetranychid mite is one of the most important pests of strawberry (Chiavegato and Mischan, 1981) and causes significant damage to various other crops, such as apple, peach, papaya, kidney bean, cotton and ornamental plants in Brazil (Flechtmann, 1985). The ability of T. urticae to develop resistance to several acaricides has caused problems in many countries involved in agricultural production during the past 40 years (

This work aimed to evaluate the differential toxicity of pesticides to populations of the mite species Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) and Tetranychus urticae Koch collected from commercial crops of strawberry (Fragaria sp.) in Atibaia county, State of São Paulo, Brazil. In the test of acute toxicity of pesticides, adult females of N. californicus received the pesticide treatment under Potter spray tower. The predaceous mite N. californicus showed the same or higher tolerance than T. urticae to various pesticides in laboratory. The highest difference was observed to the acaricide propargite, for which the predaceous mite was 25.1 times more tolerant than the two-spotted spider mite. This phytoseiid was also 4.7, 2.9 and 2.5 times more tolerant than T. urticae to chlorfenapyr, fenpyroximate, and cyhexatin, respectively. In the test of residual toxicity of pesticides, the chemicals were sprayed on plants of strawberry in the field. Leaves were collected after different periods from the treatment and artificially infested with adult females of N. californicus. The mortality was assessed 48h or 72h after treatment. Fenpyroximate, fenpropathrin, dimethoate, propargite, sulphur, and benomyl were innocuous to N. californicus. Chlorfenapyr, cyhexatin, and abamectin were significantly harmful to the predaceous mite causing initial mortality rates between 37.5% and 57.5%. The use of predaceous mites like of this population of N. californicus, which presents low susceptibility to various pesticides can be very useful for programs of management of T. urticae on strawberry in Brazil.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) for the control of Tetranychus urticae Koch in commercial strawberry fields, under greenhouse conditions, in association or not with the use of acaricides. The N. californicus strain used in this study was tolerant or resistant to several pesticides. Three experiments were carried out in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. For the first experiment, the initial infestation of T. urticae was 87.1 active stages per leaflet. Two applications of propargite were made on the first and the 14th day of the experiment. Approximately 2 h after each propargite application, N. californicus was released at a rate of 3.0 and 1.9 adult mites per plant, respectively, for each application. The population of T. urticae decreased from 87.1 to 2.8 mites per leaflet in the first three weeks. After this period, the population of T. urticae was maintained at low levels (

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