Florida Entomologist (2014) 97, 256-261

Daniel Carrillo, Marjorie A. Hoy and Jorge E. Peña (2014)
Effect of Amblyseius largoensis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) on Raoiella indica (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) by predator exclusion and predator release techniques
Florida Entomologist 97 (1), 256-261
Abstract: Raoiella indica Hirst (Acari: Tenuipalpidae), a pest of coconut and other species of palms, recently invaded the Western Hemisphere. Amblyseius largoensis (Muma) (Acari: Phytoseiidae), is a predatory mite found associated with R. indica in different parts of the world. Exclusion and release tactics were used to obtain coconut palms with varying levels of A. largoensis in order to quantify their effects on R. indica densities. Four treatments consisting of 4 rates of release of A. largoensis females (0 = control, 1:10, 1:20 and 1:30 A. largoensis: R. indica) were tested. The releases of A. largoensis resulted in a significant reduction of R. indica densities and less damaged leaf area in the treated coconut palms compared to the controls within 3 months. The largest pest density reduction (~92%) was observed at the highest predator release rate (1:10 A. largoensis: R. indica). The other 2 release rates (1:20 and 1:30 A. largoensis: R. indica) caused significant and equivalent reductions in pest densities (55 and 43%, respectively). Results of this study support the hypothesis that A. largoensis is an important mortality factor of R. indica and should be considered as a key biological control agent in IPM programs targeting R. indica.
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Database assignments for author(s): Daniel Carrillo, Marjorie A. Hoy

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Raoiella indica	Coconut (Cocos nucifera)	U.S.A. (SE)
Amblyseius largoensis (predator)	Raoiella indica	Coconut (Cocos nucifera)	U.S.A. (SE)