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Natural Enemies of Vegetable Insect Pests in Hawaii
PRIMARY PREY • spider mites, thrips, fungus gnats, and some insect eggs
PREDATORY STAGES • nymphs and adults
APPEARANCE • very small (<1mm ) • tear‐drop shaped • orange‐red, tan or brown • fast moving • nymph mites resemble small adults
VEGETABLE CROPS • greenhouse crops • field crops affected by spider mites or thrips
Acarina: Phytoseiidae
WHAT TO LOOK FOR Mites are not insects; they are more closely related to spiders. Adults have four pairs of legs and two, rather than three, body parts. They can access prey in areas not reachable by chemical sprays. Look for them in areas of spider mite and thrips infestation.
Thrips predator mite
Predatory mites are among the most successful biocontrol agents. Numbers can be very high on crops that produce a lot of pollen, such as:
• sweet peppers • fruit trees • sweet corn Reducing use of insecKcidal sprays may also encourage predatory mite populaKons. Top: Sweet peppers
Bo'om: Mango trees
PESTS ATTACKED • spider mite adults, nymphs, larvae, and eggs • thrips • small insects and their eggs
WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR YOU
PREDATORS Predators are beneficial insects that aTack, kill, or consume a wide variety of common pests. Males, females, immatures, and adults may all be predatory. Predators include lacewings, flies, spiders, beetles, true bugs, and predatory mites.