Predatory Mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) in Agro-Ecosystems and Conservation Biological Control: A Review and Explorative Approach for Forecasting Plant-Predatory Mite Interactions and Mite Dispersal

Abstract

Phytoseiidae mites are efficient predators, able to control pest mites and small arthropods in crops all over the world, using three biological control strategies: (i) augmentation, (ii) classical, and (iii) conservation. This paper focuses on the latter strategy. Most of those predatory mite species are generalist predators; they are naturally present in agro-ecosystems both on crops and adjacent natural vegetation. Because of such characteristics, their occurrence is usually associated with the use of fewer pesticides, providing relief to ecosystem services. As a first baseline for managing their occurrence in agro-ecosystems, a review of the present knowledge of plants and predatory mite interactions and predator dispersal ability is proposed. In addition, based on the author's own occurrence database, the study aims at analyzing (i) plant traits and the potential co-evolutionary relationships between plants and predatory mite species and (ii) how this can be used to forecast favorable plants to key predatory mites. For this, some examples were taken, i.e., vine and citrus crops, and three species, Kampimodromus aberrans, Euseius stipulates, and Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) pyri. The main conclusion is that the occurrence database can help in determining the probability of finding predatory mite species on crops and non-crop plants. However, because some elements are lacking, especially predatory mite density, plant traits and the true overall distribution, it is currently, difficult to associate plant traits and plant phylogeny to Phytoseiidae diversity. Additional meta-analyses in collaboration with plant specialists would be required. Finally, the paper presents some examples of agroecosystem management at different scales (intercropping, agroforestry, borders management, landscape).

Improving the compatibility of pesticides and predatory mites: recent findings on physiological and ecological selectivity

“…Off-field habitats represent a reservoir for phytoseiid populations that can potentially colonize crops [62,63]; thus compatibility between pesticides and phytoseiids could be promoted by reducing pesticide drift. Low-drift nozzles and anti-drift adjuvants were effective in controlling key pests in orchards and vineyards, while they did not affect phytoseiids [64].…”

Not Seeing the Mites for the Hairs. Comment on Möth et al. Unexpected Effects of Local Management and Landscape Composition on Predatory Mites and Their Food Resources in Vineyards. Insects 2021, 12, 180

“…Grape varieties strongly differ in leaf surface morphology and thus microhabitat quality for plant-inhabiting mites. Leaf surface morphology is generally acknowledged to be a decisive factor for the occurrence and abundance of plant-inhabiting arthropod, especially mite, populations and pollen deposition [2][3][4].…”

“…Thirteen of the 16 pairs of integrated and organic vineyards within a predefined radius of investigation had heterogeneous varieties and three had homogeneous varieties (Table S1). There is ample evidence that grape leaves differ in their quality as mite microhabitat among grape varieties [3,4]. For predatory mites, numerous studies have shown that one highly critical factor is the leaf surface morphology, and here, especially the occurrence and density of trichomes, bristles and domatia-like structures on the abaxial side of the leaf [11,12].…”

Side Effects of Sulfur Dust on the European Grapevine Moth Lobesia botrana and the Predatory Mite Kampimodromus aberrans in Vineyards

“…In European vineyards, phytoseiid mites (Acari) are reported as efficient predators of tetranychid and eriophyoid mites (Acari) and, in absence of prey, can survive by feeding on pollen, fungi, or plant exudates [ 23 , 24 , 25 ]. In the grape growing area of north-eastern Italy, Kampimodromus aberrans (Oudemans) is among the most frequently observed phytoseiid species in vineyards and its persistence is favored by the use of selective pesticides and habitat management strategies [ 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ].…”