USDA-ARS, Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Crop Research Unit, 5230 Konnowac Pass Road, Wapato, WA 98951, USA.
Washington State University, Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, 1100 N Western Ave, Wenatchee, WA 98801, USA.
J Econ Entomol. 2021 Aug 5;114(4):1701-1708. doi: 10.1093/jee/toab101.
Erythritol, an artificial sweetener, has shown promise as an organic, human-safe insecticide. Recently, erythritol applications were shown to be successful at controlling pear psylla (Cacopsylla pyricola (Förster)) (Hempitera: Psyllidae), the most important pest of pear in the Pacific Northwest, USA. Twospotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch) (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae) and pear rust mite (Epitrimerus pyri (Nalepa)) (Trombidiformes: Eriophyidae) can also be highly damaging pear pests. Their common natural enemy, Galendromus occidentalis (Nesbitt) (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae), can provide biological control if selective pesticides are used for managing other pests. Through a series of bioassays, we sought to determine whether erythritol could also be used for controlling either species of pest mite. We also examined whether erythritol had acute or sublethal impacts on G. occidentalis, through a variety of exposure methods. Effects examined included mortality, fecundity, prey consumption, and locomotion. We determined that a high concentration of erythritol (30%) had efficacy against both pest mite species and caused arresting behavior in twospotted spider mite. Erythritol caused little acute mortality in G. occidentalis, but did reduce fecundity and prey consumption through some exposure methods. Through motion-capture software, we determined that this is primarily due to reduced movement, likely caused by difficulty walking on residues and excessive grooming behavior. Because the predatory mite non-target effects were less acute than those for the two pest mites, we concluded that erythritol could likely be integrated into pear IPM with little or no disruption of mite biological control.
赤藓糖醇，一种人工甜味剂，已被证明是一种有机的、对人类安全的杀虫剂。最近，赤藓糖醇的应用已被证明在控制梨木虱（Cacopsylla pyricola（Förster））（半翅目：木虱科）方面取得了成功，梨木虱是美国太平洋西北地区梨树最重要的害虫。二斑叶螨（Tetranychus urticae Koch）（蜱螨目：叶螨科）和梨锈螨（Epitrimerus pyri（Nalepa））（蜱螨目：瘿螨科）也可能对梨树造成严重危害。它们常见的天敌，西方西方盲走螨（Galendromus occidentalis（Nesbitt））（中气门目：植绥螨科），如果选择性杀虫剂用于管理其他害虫，可以提供生物防治。通过一系列生物测定，我们试图确定赤藓糖醇是否也可用于控制这两种害螨。我们还通过各种暴露方法检查了赤藓糖醇对西方西方盲走螨是否有急性或亚致死影响。检查的影响包括死亡率、繁殖力、猎物消耗和运动。我们确定高浓度的赤藓糖醇（30%）对两种害螨都有效，并导致二斑叶螨出现行为停顿。赤藓糖醇对西方西方盲走螨的急性死亡率较低，但通过某些暴露方法确实降低了其繁殖力和猎物消耗。通过运动捕捉软件，我们确定这主要是由于运动减少，可能是由于在残留物上行走困难和过度梳理行为所致。由于捕食螨的非靶标效应不如两种害螨那么明显，我们得出结论，赤藓糖醇可能可以与梨 IPM 整合在一起，对螨类生物防治的干扰很小或没有。
