Phytoseiulus persimilis
Pack size: 10,000 pcs, jar 5 l
Phytoseiulus persimilis is an aggressive predatory mite specialised in spider mite control. The adult female destroys up to 30 eggs or up to 20 adult spider mites per day and develops 1.5–2 times faster than the pest (3.8–5 days at 25–30 °C). It finds colonies by their webbing and by plant volatiles. For cucumber, aubergine, strawberry, rose and other crops. Bottles of 250 ml (2,000), 500 ml (10,000) and 30 ml (2,000). Produced by Bioline.
Phytoseiulus persimilis – predatory mite for spider mite control
Pack size: 10,000 pcs, jar 5 l
Phytoseiulus persimilis is a predatory mite of the family Phytoseiidae used to control spider mites on flower, fruit and vegetable crops. It is an aggressive, fast-moving predator considered the most effective on the market; easy to use in greenhouses, resistant to many chemical products, and it develops about twice as fast as the pest. An adult produces about 85 eggs in its lifetime (50–80 eggs per female on average) and lives about 3.5 weeks at 25 °C and about 75% humidity.
Appearance and life cycle
The female is pear-shaped, up to 0.5 mm, orange-red to cherry-coloured; the male slightly smaller. Cycle: egg – larva – protonymph – deutonymph – adult. Eggs (0.21 × 0.18 mm, pale pink) are laid in spider mite colonies. A protonymph eats 5–7 spider mite eggs per day, a deutonymph 9–16. Development from egg to adult at 25–30 °C and ≥70% humidity takes 3.8–5 days; in total 28 days at 15 °C, 9.0 days at 20 °C, 3.8 days at 25 °C, 5.0 days at 30 °C.
Target pests
Two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) – all stages. Adult females kill up to 30 eggs and up to 20 adult pests per day. The predator finds colonies by their webbing and by the volatiles released by infested plants, and recognises eggs with receptors on its front legs. Recommended ratio: 1 mite per 50–100 prey.
Crops
Cucumber, aubergine, strawberry, rose and other crops (also tomato).
Key advantages
Simplicity and efficacy, and an optimum price-to-quality ratio. Half a million to a million individuals are needed per hectare of cucumber or aubergine; for other crops the figure may be adjusted.
Application
The rate is set visually according to the degree of spider mite infestation: low – 10–15 individuals per plant, medium – 15–20 individuals per plant, severe – predator-to-spider-mite ratio of 1:10 to 1:20 in the hotspots. Best results come from combining with other species: Amblyseius californicus, Amblyseius andersoni, Feltiella acarisuga.
- Preventive rate: 3–4 individuals/m² once a month.
- Rate for controlling pest hotspots: 15–20 individuals/m² per week.
Packaging and storage
Mites in vermiculite: 250 ml bottle with red valve – 2,000; 500 ml bottle with red valve – 10,000; 30 ml bottle with screw cap – 2,000. Use within 18 hours of receipt, store in a cool place at 5–10 °C, protect from direct sun.