SURVEY OF PHYTOSEIIDS (ACARI: PHYTOSEIIDAE) ON THE CENTRAL COAST OF CALIFORNIA A Thesis presented to The Faculty of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo In Partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Masters of Science in Agriculture by Maria Elena Murrietta March 2015 © 2015 Maria Elena Murrietta ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP TITLE: Survey of Phytoseiids (Acari: Phytoseiidae) on the Central Coast of California AUTHOR: Maria Elena Murrietta DATE SUBMITTED: March 2015 COMMITTEE CHAIR: David H. Headrick, Ph.D. Professor, Horticulture and Crop Science Department COMMITTEE MEMBER: Elizabeth E. Grafton-Cardwell, Ph.D. Director, Lincove Research and Education Center COMMITTEE MEMBER: Larisa Vredevoe, Ph.D. Professor, Biological Sciences Department iii ABSTRACT Survey of Phytoseiids (Acari: Phytoseiidae) On the Central Coast of California Maria Elena Murrietta Phytoseiids were collected March through November, 2006 and 2007, from leaf samples of avocados, cherimoya, caneberry, grape, and strawberry from a combined total of 24 sites. The most diverse collection of phytoseiids was identified on grape with seven different genera and 12 different species followed by caneberry with 7 genera and 7 species. Strawberry was the least diverse with three genera and three different species. The most significant presence of type I and type II phytoseiids were located on caneberry and strawberry while avocado, cherimoya and grape were dominated by type IV species. Reasons for the difference in diversity could be attributed to the availability of preferred hosts, alternate food sources, and the effectiveness of augmentative releases and pesticide applications. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project was funded in part by the UC ANR/ UC IPM Exotic/Invasive Pests and Disease Research Program awarded to Dr. Elizabeth E. Grafton-Cardwell and a grant from the McOmie Research Endowment awarded to Dr. David H. Headrick. Thank you to Dr. Jim McMurtry for lending his expertise to this project and to Yuling Ouyang for her help with the identification process and procedures. I would also like to thank the members of my committee for their time and guidance during the course of this project. v TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... xiii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... xv LIST OF APPENDIX FIGURES ................................................................................. xxviii CHAPTERS I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1 Purpose of Study .............................................................................................................. 2 II. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................... 4 Tetranychidae .................................................................................................................. 4 Tetranychid Webbing .................................................................................................. 5 Tetranychid Life Cycle ............................................................................................... 7 Tetranychid Feeding ................................................................................................... 8 Tetranychid Mouthparts .............................................................................................. 8 Pesticide Effects on Tetranychids ............................................................................... 9 Phytoseiidae .................................................................................................................. 10 Physical Characters ................................................................................................... 11 Phytoseiid Behavior .................................................................................................. 12 Pesticide Effects on Phytoseiids ............................................................................... 14 Phytoseiid Types ....................................................................................................... 16 Type I Phytoseiids ........................................................................................... 17 Type II Phytoseiids ......................................................................................... 18 vi Type III Phytoseiids ........................................................................................ 19 Type IV Phytoseiids ........................................................................................ 21 Biological Control ........................................................................................................ 23 Biological Control Methods ...................................................................................... 24 Classical Biological Control .......................................................................... 25 Conservation Biological Control .................................................................... 26 Augmentation .................................................................................................. 27 Commercial Insectaries............................................................................................. 27 Surveys of Phytoseiids ................................................................................................. 32 Crops Surveyed ........................................................................................................ 33 Avocado (Persea americana Mill) .................................................................. 33 Cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill.) ............................................................ 34 Caneberry (Rubus spp.) .................................................................................. 35 Grape (Vitis vinifera L.) ................................................................................. 36 Strawberry (Fragaria X ananassa) ................................................................ 36 III. MATERIALS AND METHODS ................................................................................ 38 Sampling Methods for Each Cropping System ............................................................ 38 Avocado .................................................................................................................... 42 Site A1: Dos Pasos Ranch ........................................................................................ 44 Leaf Samples ................................................................................................... 45 Site A2: Cal Poly Avocado Orchard ......................................................................... 45 Leaf Samples ................................................................................................... 46 Site A3: Coyote Canyon Ranch ................................................................................ 47 vii Leaf Samples ................................................................................................... 48 Cherimoya ................................................................................................................ 48 Site CH 1: Rincon Ranch .......................................................................................... 50 Leaf Samples ................................................................................................... 51 Site CH2: Casitas Pass .............................................................................................. 51 Leaf Samples ................................................................................................... 52 Site CH3: Chismahoo Ranch .................................................................................... 52 Leaf Samples ................................................................................................... 53 Caneberry .................................................................................................................. 53 Site C1: Rutiz Family Farm ...................................................................................... 55 Leaf Samples ................................................................................................... 56 Site C2: McGrath Ranch ........................................................................................... 57 Leaf Samples ................................................................................................... 58 Site C3: Pleasant Valley Ranch ................................................................................ 58 Leaf Samples ................................................................................................... 59 Site C4: Borchard Ranch .......................................................................................... 60 Leaf Samples ................................................................................................... 60 Site C5: Santa Rosa Ranch ....................................................................................... 61 Leaf Samples ................................................................................................... 62 Grape......................................................................................................................... 63 Site G1: Fetzer Five Rivers Ranch ..........................................................................