Environmental Entomology (1991) 20, 1074-1078

James S. Berry, Thomas O. Holtzer and John M. Norman (1991)
Experiments using a simulation model of the banks grass mite (Acari: Tetranychidae) and the predatory mite Neoseiulus fallacis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) in a corn microenvironment
Environmental Entomology 20 (4), 1074-1078
Abstract: The simulation model (MiteSim) of the mite predator-prey system consisting of Banks grass mite, Oligonychus pratensis (Banks), and the predatory mite Neoseiulus fallacis (Garman) was used to evaluate mite population dynamics in Nebraska corn fields in relation to microenvironmental variables. Simulation results demonstrated the importance of using humidity and temperature conditions at the leaf surface instead of weather station conditions to simulate the mite system on corn in Nebraska. Also, humidity (in addition to temperature) was determined to be critically important in the population dynamics of the two mites. The temperature and humidity at the leaf surface of moderately drought-stressed corn (compared with well-watered corn) resulted in higher simulated populations of Banks grass mite. Simulation studies also showed that colonization of a corn field by less than one adult female Banks grass mite per plant in June can result in mite densities sufficient to cause crop loss by August (Banks grass mite biotic potential without extrinsic mortality).
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
environment - cropping system/rotation
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
population dynamics/epizootiology
environment/habitat manipulation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Oligonychus pratensis	Maize/corn (Zea mays)	U.S.A. (mid N)
Neoseiulus fallacis (predator)	Oligonychus pratensis	Maize/corn (Zea mays)	U.S.A. (mid N)