Ecology of tetranychid mites and their natural enemies: A review: I. Tetranychid enemies: Their biological characters and the impact of spray practices

Abstract

The two papers presented here were prepared at the request of the Special Committee of the International Biological Program, as part of a broad program on the ecology and natural control of spider mites (Tetranychidae) on a worldwide basis. Part I is a review of the pertinent literature and a discussion of the biology and ecology of various spider mite enemies, their potential as biological control agents, and the effects of pesticides on their populations. Part II reviews the literature pertaining to tetranychid abundance, and the evidence supporting various hypotheses concerned with their populations. It evaluates the action of various predators and discusses possible ways of implementing biological control. A third paper in this series (Part III), by the same authors, will review the literature and discuss the problem of spider mites from the standpoint of their biology, ecology, pest status, and their relationship to host plants. This paper is expected to be published shortly.