Effects of some biorational pesticides for controlling Tetranychus turkestanni Acari: Tetranychidae) on ornamental plants of green landscape

The strawberry spider mite, Tetranychus turkestanii (Acari: Tetranychiidae), is an important pest of many ornamental plants planted in urban green landscapes of Ahvaz and other cities of Khuzestan province, southwest Iran. Chemical control of herbivorous pests in urban environments has many limitations and concerns due to the daily and near contact of many citizens with these ecosystems. Therefore, choosing eco-friendly pesticides with appropriate effects plays an important role in developing integrated pest management (IPM) programs for pests. This study evaluated short-and long-term effects of some biorational pesticides, including azadirachtin, etoxazole and abamectin, against the mite under field conditions. The results indicated that all pesticides successfully decreased the spider mites' density compared to the control. Nonetheless, etoxazole demonstrated significantly high short and long-term effectiveness in reducing the mite population compared to the other treatments. The findings can be used to develop the IPM program for T. turkestanii in urban green landscapes.