• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.257-262
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• 2003

Spider mites and their predacious mites were surveyed in an apple orchard where pesticides have not been applied for a long time, to understand the undisrupted predacious mite complex and their role in the controling spider mites. Spider mites occurring in the orchard were different to those in conventional orchards. A few Tetranychus urticae and Panonychus ulmi were observed, while T. kanzawai was abundant during growing season. Four species of phytoseiids, Amblyseius eharai, A. kokufuensis, A. womersleyi and Typhlodromus vulgaris, and one stigmaeid species of Agistemus terminalis were observed from leaf samples in the orchard. Among them, T. vulgaris occurred from early cool season with low T. kanzawai densities through to mid-and late-season. A. womersleyi was observed only during mid-season when T. kanzawai densities were high with hot weather. Amblyseius eharai and A. kokufuensis occured only in early season, but A. terminalis density increased from mid-season and lasted to late-season. The predacious mite complex regulated the density of T. kanzawai approximately under 8 mites per leaf. Tentatively concluding, T. vulgaris is an adaptable predator at lower prey density under cool weather condition, and A. womersleyi is effective predator at higher prey density under hot weather condition. Further, the biological control strategies of spider mites in Korean orchards were discussed based on the predacious mite complex.