Evaluation of chemical acaricides against the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae (Koch) (Acari: Tetranychidae) in geothermal greenhouses in southern Tunisia

Abstract

The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae (Koch) (Acari: Tetranychidae), represents a major threat to geothermal greenhouses in southern Tunisia, causing considerable damage to geothermal crops. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of new chemical acaricides against T. urticae infesting tomato crops under heated greenhouses: Cyflumetofen, Cinnamaldheyde, Fenazaquin, Pyridaben, Abamectin + Spinosad and Diafenthiuron. The results showed that all acaricides had a significant effect on the reduction of eggs and motile forms of T. urticae, although the reference treatment based on Diafenthiuron varied between 84.40% and 100%. In conclusion, this study highlights the efficacy of several acaricides in managing T. urticae populations, offering promising prospects for effective control of this mite in heated greenhouse crops.

Keywords

• Cyflumetofen
• Cinnamaldheyde
• Fenazaquin
• Pyridaben
• Abamectin
• Spinosad and Diafenthiuron