Conditions Eliciting Aerial Dispersal Behavior Banks Grass Mite, Oligonychus pratensis (Acari: Tetranychidae)

1987 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 928-932 ◽  
Author(s):  
David C. Margolies
2008 ◽  
pp. 378-378
Author(s):  
Colin Berry ◽  
Jason M. Meyer ◽  
Marjorie A. Hoy ◽  
John B. Heppner ◽  
William Tinzaara ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Alice Ruckert ◽  
Julian R Golec ◽  
Cody L Barnes ◽  
Ricardo A Ramirez

Abstract Spider mite (Acari: Tetranychidae) outbreaks are common on corn grown in the arid West. Hot and dry conditions reduce mite development time, increase fecundity, and accelerate egg hatch. Climate change is predicted to increase drought incidents and produce more intense temperature patterns. Together, these environmental shifts may cause more frequent and severe spider mite infestations. Spider mite management is difficult as many commercially available acaricides are ineffective due to the development of resistance traits in field mite populations. Therefore, alternative approaches to suppress outbreaks are critically needed. Drought-tolerant plant hybrids alleviate the challenges of growing crops in water-limited environments; yet, it is unclear if drought-tolerant hybrids exposed to water stress affect mite outbreaks under these conditions. We conducted a greenhouse experiment to evaluate the effect of drought-tolerant corn hybrids on Banks grass mite [Oligonychus pratensis Banks (Acari: Tetranychidae)], a primary pest of corn, under optimal irrigation and water-stress irrigation. This was followed by a 2-yr field study investigating the effect of drought-tolerant corn hybrids exposed to the same irrigation treatments on Banks grass mite artificially infested on hybrids and resident spider mite populations. Results showed that water-stressed drought-tolerant hybrids had significantly lower Banks grass mite and resident spider mite populations than water-stressed drought-susceptible hybrids. Interestingly, water-stressed drought-tolerant hybrids had equal Banks grass mite populations to drought-susceptible and drought-tolerant hybrids under optimal irrigation. We posit that planting drought-tolerant hybrids may suppress spider mite outbreaks in water-challenged areas.


1986 ◽  
Vol 118 (6) ◽  
pp. 525-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L. Cox ◽  
Daniel A. Potter

AbstractSeasonal and daily patterns of ballooning, and behavioral processes involved in aerial dispersal of the bagworm, Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis (Haworth), were studied on Juniperus virginiana L. in Kentucky. The aerial dispersal period began in mid-May 1983 and lasted ca. 1 month. About 75% of dispersing larvae ballooned after making a bag. Settling velocities were determined for larvae with and without bags and trailing varying lengths of silk; a model was then developed that predicts dispersal distance for a particular wind speed and departure height. Most aerial dispersal is probably short-range. The bag reduced potential dispersal distance, but larvae with bags survived ca. 2 days longer than those without bags when exposed to abiotic factors off of a host. Larvae without bags ballooned mostly in morning, whereas 80% of the larvae dispersing with a bag ballooned in the afternoon. These patterns may be related to the diel periodicity of emergence of neonate larvae from old female bags, and the subsequent behavior of 1st instars prior to dispersal. A large proportion of each cohort emigrates regardless of host condition.


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