Control of coffee plant (Coffea arabica L.) pest-mites with a physiological effect product and impact on beneficial mites

Abstract

Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes, 1939) (Tenuipalpidae) is an important coffee (Coffea arabica L.) pest-mite, because it is the vector of coffee ring spot virus, which is responsible for leaf fall and bad quality of the coffee beverage. Oligonychus ilicis (McGregor, 1917) (Tetranychidae) is also important because it reduces leaf photosynthesis area. Phytoseiidae mites are efficient predators of the phytophagous mites. The objective of this work was to study the control of the pest-mites with spiromesifen, a physiological effect insecticide-acaricide, that acts on lipogenesis inhibition, and its impact on phytoseiids, using hexythiazox as patterns acaricide, that acts as a growth regulator, and the neurotoxic acaricides fenbutatin oxide and azocyclotin. The ovicidal, topical, residual, topical plus residual effects were studied in bioassays using detached leaves. The physiological selectivity for the phytoseiids Euseius alatus DeLeon 1966; Euseius citrifolius Denmark & Muma, 1970; Amblyseius herbicolus (Chant, 1959) and Iphiseiodes zuluagai Denmark & Muma, 1972 was evaluated in a glass surface residual test. The persistence of the products used was evaluated in a greenhouse for 30 days. Field-tests evaluated only the efficiency of the O. ilicis control. Spiromesifen showed efficient ovicidal action to both mite species on eggs of every age.  In general, the associated topical plus residual effects improved the efficiency of control of post-embryonic phases of both species. Spiromesifen presented physiological selectivity to the predatory mites studied.