Faculty of Agronomical Sciences, Technical University of Ambato, Campus Querochaca, Province of Tungurahua, Cevallos, Ecuador.
CABI Latin America, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.
Neotrop Entomol. 2023 Apr;52(2):240-250. doi: 10.1007/s13744-023-01026-4. Epub 2023 Feb 22.
Phytoseiidae is a large family of Mesostigmata mites. Members of this family are important biological control agents across the world since they are well-known natural enemies of phytophagous arthropods on cultivated and non-cultivated plants, mainly used to control pest spider mites. However, some can control thrips in greenhouses and fields. Several studies reporting on species in Latin America have been published. The most extensive studies were conducted in Brazil. Phytoseiid mites have been used in different biological control approaches, with two successful classical biological control programs: the biocontrol of the cassava green mite using Typhlodromalus aripo (Deleon) in Africa and the citrus and avocado mites by Euseius stipulatus (Athias-Henriot) in California. Efforts in using phytoseiid mites to enforce biological control of different phytophagous mites are being made in Latin America. Till now, only a few successful examples are available on this topic. This fact highlights the need to continue the investigations on the ability of other unknown species to be used in biological control through close collaboration between researchers and biocontrol companies. Various challenges remain, such as developing better rearing systems to provide a large number of predators to farmers in various crop systems, training farmers to improve their understanding of the use of predators, and chemical control aimed at conservation biological control, looking forward to increasing the use of the phytoseiid mites as biological control agents in Latin America and the Caribbean.
植绥螨科是中气门螨目下的一个大科。该科成员是全世界范围内重要的生物防治剂，因为它们是众所周知的植食性节肢动物（包括农作物和非农作物上的）的天敌，主要用于防治害螨。然而，有些植绥螨也可以控制温室和田间的蓟马。已经有一些关于拉丁美洲物种的研究报告发表。其中最广泛的研究是在巴西进行的。植绥螨已经被应用于不同的生物防治方法中，其中有两个成功的经典生物防治计划：利用 Typhlodromalus aripo（Deleon）防治木薯叶螨在非洲的生物防治，以及利用 Euseius stipulatus（Athias-Henriot）防治柑橘和鳄梨红蜘蛛在加利福尼亚的生物防治。在拉丁美洲，人们一直在努力利用植绥螨来强化对不同植食性螨的生物防治。到目前为止，关于这个主题只有少数成功的例子。这一事实突出表明，需要通过研究人员和生物防治公司之间的密切合作，继续调查其他未知物种在生物防治中的应用能力。仍然存在各种挑战，例如开发更好的饲养系统，以便在各种作物系统中为农民提供大量捕食者；培训农民以提高他们对捕食者使用的理解；以及旨在保护生物防治的化学控制，以期增加在拉丁美洲和加勒比地区使用植绥螨作为生物防治剂的机会。
