Milbemectin and etoxazol acaricide resistant and susceptible strains of Tetranychus urticae (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae) are equally radiosusceptible and unable to reproduce when irradiated with 400 Gy

Abstract

The twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae), is considered one of the most important phytophagous mites causing considerable damage in several agricultural crops. The aim of this study was to evaluate the susceptibility to gamma irradiation of strains of T. urticae resistant (R) and susceptible (S) to the acaricides, milbemectin and etoxazol. The R and S strains for milbemectin and etoxazol were irradiated with 200 and 400 Gy of gamma radiation in a Gammacell 220 source to evaluate the effects of gamma radiation on the growth rate of the mites. A dose of 400 Gy totally eliminated populations of both R and S strains of T. urticae within 10 d. A dose of 200 Gy was not sufficient to totally eliminate both T. urticae strains, but it significantly reduced egg viability of both strains. In the most likely measure of efficacy for phytosanitary irradiation of mites—i.e., prevention of F1 egg hatch when parent adults are irradiated—no differences were found in response to irradiation among the 4 strains.