Environmental Entomology (2000) 29, 95-100

M.A. Morris, R.E. Berry and B.A. Croft (2000)
Fall flaming effects on densities, distributions, and dispersal of Tetranychus urticae and Neoseiulus fallacis (Acari: Tetranychidae, Phytoseiidae) on peppermint
Environmental Entomology 29 (1), 95-100
Abstract: Fall flaming of harvested peppermint, Mentha piperita L., fields for disease control immediately decreased levels of the predatory phytoseiid mite Neoseiulus fallacis (Garman) by 8498%, while suppressing the spider mite pest Tetranychus urticae Koch to a lesser extent. By the following spring, more T. urticae were found in flamed fields than unflamed fields and in many cases the pest reached outbreak densities (>5 per leaf) and required use of miticides for control. After harvest on unflamed mint, more N. fallacis were found on prostrate plants near the humid soil surface than on erect plants, whereas spider mites were near equal on prostrate and erect plants. The 1st erect plant type was 1525 cm tall without leaves on the lower 7.5 cm. The 2nd was 2.57.5 cm tall with at least 3 sets of leaves and the prostate plants extended to only 1.3 cm above the soil surface. The net effect of this temporalspatial asynchrony between predators and prey was to uncouple the system, temporarily. This uncoupling for a short time (physiologically) seemed to stabilize interactions by keeping the predators from overexploiting spider mite populations in the fall and spring. Tests of selective flaming in small field plots showed that predaceous mites dispersed 78 m from unflamed plots to recolonize flamed plots before spider mites reached outbreak conditions. Allowing small, unflamed refuges to exist where predaceous mites can survive may reduce negative impact of flaming on control of spider mites at whole field levels.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Ralph E. Berry

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
control - general
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
population dynamics/epizootiology

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Tetranychus urticae	Mint (Mentha)
Neoseiulus fallacis (predator)	Tetranychus urticae	Mint (Mentha)