Lopez Lorena, Liburd Oscar E
Entomology Laboratory, Virginia Tech's Eastern Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 33446 Research Drive, Painter, VA 23420, USA.
Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida/IFAS, 970 Natural Area Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
Insects. 2023 Jun 21;14(7):573. doi: 10.3390/insects14070573.
Tetranychid outbreaks have been detected since 2016 in southern highbush blueberries (SHB); however, it was not until 2019 that the southern red mite (SRM), (Acari: Tetranychidae) was confirmed as the pest causing severe bronzing and stunting, in multiple Florida and Georgia commercial blueberry plantings. To date, only three miticides (fenazaquin, fenpyroximate, and acequinocyl) have been registered for use in SHB and there are no clear guidelines on how to manage SRM in SHB. Similarly, there is no knowledge regarding the existence of natural enemies of SRM in SHB. This is the first report of naturally occurring predatory mites ( sp. and ) associated with SRM in SHB. Predatory mites were recorded in blueberry bushes after treatment with seven miticides used to suppress SRM populations including spiromesifen, acequinocyl, sulfur, sulfur + molasses, bifenazate, fenpyroximate, and fenazaquin. The number of SRM recorded per leaf and averaged plant damage ratings (0 = no bronzing-4 = 100% bronzing) were used to evaluate miticide efficacy. Additionally, the presence or absence of predatory mites per sample was recorded. Fenpyroximate used as the standard miticide, significantly reduced mite numbers seven days after application, as well as acequinocyl and fenazaquin. Fenpyroximate and fenazaquin demonstrated the best performance for managing on SHB and treated bushes demonstrated significantly less bronzing compared with the control plants. These miticides were also safe to naturally occurring predatory mites. Lastly, the level of growers' awareness regarding SRM was assessed using surveys in 2020 to design adequate educational materials available to the grower community.
自2016年以来，在南高丛蓝莓（SHB）中检测到叶螨爆发；然而，直到2019年，南方红螨（SRM），（蜱螨目：叶螨科）才在佛罗里达州和佐治亚州的多个商业蓝莓种植园中被确认为导致严重青铜色化和发育迟缓的害虫。迄今为止，只有三种杀螨剂（喹螨醚、唑螨酯和乙螨唑）已登记用于南高丛蓝莓，并且没有关于如何管理南高丛蓝莓中南方红螨的明确指南。同样，对于南高丛蓝莓中南方红螨的天敌存在情况也一无所知。这是关于南高丛蓝莓中与南方红螨相关的自然存在的捕食性螨（ 属和 属）的首次报告。在用七种用于抑制南方红螨种群的杀螨剂处理后，在蓝莓灌木丛中记录到了捕食性螨，这些杀螨剂包括螺虫乙酯、乙螨唑、硫磺、硫磺 + 糖蜜、联苯肼酯、唑螨酯和喹螨醚。每片叶子上记录的南方红螨数量以及平均植株损伤评级（0 = 无青铜色化 - 4 = 100%青铜色化）用于评估杀螨剂的效果。此外，记录每个样本中捕食性螨的存在与否。用作标准杀螨剂的唑螨酯在施药七天后显著减少了螨的数量，乙螨唑和喹螨醚也是如此。唑螨酯和喹螨醚在管理南高丛蓝莓上的南方红螨方面表现最佳，与对照植株相比，处理过的灌木丛青铜色化明显更少。这些杀螨剂对自然存在的捕食性螨也很安全。最后，在2020年通过调查评估了种植者对南方红螨的认知水平，以设计可供种植者群体使用的适当教育材料。
