Insecticidal Soap and the Predatory Mite, Phytoseiulus persimilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae), Used in Management of the Twospotted Spider Mite (Acari: Tetranychidae) on Greenhouse Grown Foliage Plants

1 June 1985

journal article
research article
Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Journal of Economic Entomology

Vol. 78 (3) , 687-691
https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/78.3.687

Abstract

The lowest rate of Safer’s Insecticidal Soap effective in controlling Tetranychus urticae Koch adults (12.5 ml/liter) caused 100% mortality to Phytosetulus persimilis Athias-Henriot adults in standard slide-dip tests. At the same rate, however, ca. 60% of T. urticae eggs eclosed as compared to ca. 95% in P. persimilis. The ability of this predator to control T. urticae was not impaired on infested Brassaia actinophylla Endl. when plants were sprayed with soap 3 days after predator release. In another study, the number of mitedays accumulated 22 days after predators were released reached 2,214 on plants treated with soap 3 days after predator release, compared to 5,389 in the treatment involving predators only.

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