BENEFICIAL INSECTS AND MITES GUIDE BENEFICIAL INSECTS AND MITES GUIDE | 1 BENEFICIAL INSECTS AND MITES Beneficials are an essential component of healthy concern for ORO AGRI as it aims to develop the most ecosystems and sustainable crop protection. They effective and sustainableIPM and organic approaches. provide biological control services by keeping Ecological disruption, increased pest outbreaks and populations of pest organisms in check, leading to less the development of resistance can be averted based on pesticide sprays and greater yield. Thus, protecting the right choice of plant protection products. and preserving beneficial insects has become a major ORO AGRI CARES ORO AGRI is devoted to provide solutions for growers but not at any price. It is in our DNA to care about the environment, the user and the health of consumers. That is why we focus on developing biologically sourced solutions. At ORO AGRI, our science is powered by nature and our products have proven to be safe for natural enemies, while showing high efficacy against crop damaging pests. This guide was designed to showcase useful information and scientifically proven results on the impact of our orange oil- based solutions on a variety of important beneficials, in order to help growers in achieving economically-sustainable and ecologically-sound pest management strategies. 2 | BENEFICIAL INSECTS AND MITES GUIDE * PREV-AM is also marketed as PREV-AM Plus and PREVAM PREV-AM is beneficial- environment- and grower-friendly Field and laboratory studies are fundamental for ORO The short-term residual activity of PREV-AM makes it AGRI to provide the most suitable and sustainable easier to incorporate into organic and IPM programs solutions to growers. Our knowledge, earned by 20 years compared with other long-term residual pesticides. of trials and assessments, allows us to share the most up PREV-AM has low toxicity, which allows growers to re- to date information on our naturally-sourced solutions enter treated areas after short intervals and if necessary, and their impact. permits treatments closer to harvest. As a plant extract, PREV-AM® is a multipurpose biopesticide based on the orange oil is exempted from Maximum Residue Level botanical active substance orange oil used as a contact (MRL) tolerances. solution against many insects, diseases, and mites. PREV-AM brings also other long-term benefits in Our own studies, as well as studies by independent resistance management thanks to its physical mode of bodies published in scientific journals, prove that action. Mixing it with other active ingredients or alternate PREV-AM maintains a positive natural enemy/pest spraying helps in managing pest resistance. ratio which is favorable for effective biological control. Moreover, these studies have shown that PREV-AM is much safer for beneficials and pollinators compared to other botanical and synthetic pesticides. • Registered for use in organic farming in several countries (Regulation (EC) No 834/2007, No 889/2008) • Helps in managing insecticide resistance • Thanks to its short residual activity, the application of PREV-AM is possible shortly before the date of harvest Our international flagship brand isPREV-AM . However, the results which follow are valid for all of our 6% orange oil products including those below Always refer to your local label for registrations and restrictions regarding the use of the products. In case of any doubt please contact ORO AGRI. BENEFICIAL INSECTS AND MITES GUIDE | 3 BENEFICIAL INSECTS AND MITES GUIDE There are many insects and mites in agricultural ORO AGRI products follow the standard classification ecosystems, but not all are pests. Some species adopted by the IOBC-WPRS working group on are beneficial and provide invaluable services that ‘’Pesticides and Beneficial Organisms’’ and the contribute to the economic and ecological success of commission ‘’Guidelines for Integrated Production’’. agroecosystems. These beneficials comprise predators, Throughout this guide, the colors below will refer to this parasitoids, pollinators, and mites. classification forORO AGRI products, when available. TARGETED PESTS: IOBC STANDARD CLASSIFICATION: Moderately Harmless harmful MITE THRIPS WHITEFLY APHID LEPIDOPTERA LEAFHOPPER MEALYBUG Slightly harmful Harmful PREDATORY MITES Adults are shiny, unspotted, with a pear-shaped body and can feed on all life stages of pest mites as well as on eggs and immature stages of thrips, whiteflies, and scale insects. Some adult predatory mites also feed on pollen, honeydew, fungi, and plant sap. Amblyseius andersoni (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) IOBC CLASS Active at a very broad temperature range (6-40 °C) 2 • Attacks Eryophid mites and spider mites, will also feed on pollen and thrips larvae, allowing it to survive when pest population is scarce and thus can be used preventively • PREV-AM at 0.4% and 0.6% was slightly harmful to A. andersoni • PREV-AM can be used with no restrictions along with Amblyseius andersoni A. ANDERSONI FEEDING ON MITES A. CUCUMERIS FEEDING ON THRIPS NYMPH Amblyseius cucumeris (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) IOBC CLASS Most active in warm conditions (30 °C) 1 • Mainly a predator of thrips and mites. It disperses quickly throughout the crop and feeds on pollen, which allows long term control • PREV-AM at 0.4% and 0.6% was harmless to A. cucumeris • PREV-AM can be used with no restrictions along with Amblyseius cucumeris PICTURE CREDIT : ENTOFILM PROF. WYSS 4 | BENEFICIAL INSECTS AND MITES GUIDE PICTURE CREDIT : ENTOFILM PROF. WYSS Amblydromalus limonicus (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) IOBC CLASS Effective at temperatures as low as 13 °C 2 • It feeds on larvae of various species of thrips (first and second larval stages) and on eggs and larvae of greenhouse and cotton whitefly • PREV-AM at 0.4% and 0.6% was slightly harmful to A. limonicus • PREV-AM can be used with no restrictions along with Amblydromalus limonicus A. LIMONICUS FEEDING ON THRIPS NYMPH PICTURE CREDIT : ENTOFILM PROF. WYSS Amblyseius swirskii (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) IOBC CLASS Most active in warm conditions (30 °C) 2 • It is commonly used for the control of mites, whiteflies and thrips in greenhouse vegetables and ornamentals • PREV-AM at 0.4% and 0.6% was slightly harmful to A. swirskii • PREV-AM can be used with no restrictions along with Amblyseius swirskii A. SWIRSKII FEEDING ON WHITEFLY CRAWLER PICTURE CREDIT : ENTOFILM PROF. WYSS Phytoseiulus persimilis (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) IOBC CLASS Functions well at temperatures 1 above 20 °C • Commonly used for the control of the red spider mite, Tetranychus urticae in greenhouse vegetables and ornamentals • It cannot survive for long periods of low prey density as it rarely feeds on pollen and plant sap, thus it should be introduced after pest presence • PREV-AM sprays at 0.4% and 0.6% were harmless to this predator and can thus be used with no restrictions with this biocontrol agent P. PERSIMILIS FEEDING ON RED SPIDER MITE BENEFICIAL INSECTS AND MITES GUIDE | 5 PICTURE CREDIT : ENTOFILM PROF. WYSS Amblyseius montdorensis (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) IOBC CLASS Active at low temperature 1 2 ranges (12-18 °C) PREV-AM PREV-AM 0.4% 0.6% • It is a generalist predator of whiteflies, thrips and mites that is commonly used in fruit crops and in protected crops and ornamentals. It is suitable for preventive pest control as it also feeds on pollen and nectar • Spraying PREV-AM at 0.4% is harmless; at the higher dose of 0.6% it becomes slightly harmful • At the tested rates there are no restrictions on using PREV-AM in combination with A. montdorensis A. MONTDORENSIS FEEDING ON THRIPS NYMPH PICTURE CREDIT : ENTOFILM PROF. WYSS Typhlodromus pyri (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) IOBC CLASS Functions best at temperatures 2 around 25 °C • It is found in fruit growing regions around the world and preys on the apple rust mite, European red mite and the two spotted spider mite • Spraying PREV-AM at 0.3% and 0.6% is slightly harmful to T. pyri • PREV-AM can be used with no restrictions along with Typhlodromus pyri T. PYRI FEEDING ON GALL MITE PREDATORY BUGS True bugs, both adults and nymphs which feed by sucking the fluids from soft-bodied insects like aphids and caterpillars. They are usually not host-specific. Common families are Reduviidae, Anthocoridae, Miridae, and Pentatomidae. Macrolophus caliginosus PICTURE CREDIT : ENTOFILM PROF. WYSS (Hemiptera: Miridae) IOBC CLASS Optimal activity at 25 °C 2 • It is omnivorous, but prefers to feed on whiteflies, and will also prey on aphids, mites and lepidopterans • High populations of M. caliginosus are unfavorable as they can cause crop damage • PREV-AM sprays at 0.4% and 0.6% were only slightly harmful to M. caliginosus • PREV-AM can be used with no restrictions along with Macrolophus caliginosus M. CALIGINOSUS FEEDING ON WHITEFLY NYMPH 6 | BENEFICIAL INSECTS AND MITES GUIDE PICTURE CREDIT : ENTOFILM PROF. WYSS Orius laevigatus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) IOBC CLASS Optimal activity at temperatures ranging 2 from 20 to 30 °C • It is a generalist agent released mainly for the control of thrips in horticultural and ornamental greenhouses • PREV-AM applications at 0.4% and 0.6% slightly impacted the populations of O. laevigatus • PREV-AM can be used with no restrictions along with this biocontrol agent PARASITIC WASPS O. LAEVIGATUS FEEDING ON THRIPS Parasitic wasps are tiny non-stinging hymenopteran insects that develop on or inside the various life stages of other agricultural pests (aphids, whiteflies, stink bugs…). Important parasitoid families include Ichneumonidae, Braconidae and Chalcidoidea. Some parasitoids are specialized in their choice of prey, others are generalists. PICTURE CREDIT : ENTOFILM PROF. WYSS Aphidius ervi (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) IOBC CLASS Optimal performance at temperatures ranging 2 from 18 to 25 °C • It parasitizes several species of aphids • Spraying PREV-AM at 0.4% and 0.6% is slightly harmful to A. ervi • PREV-AM can be used with no restrictions along with Aphidius ervi A. ERVI PARASITIZING AN APHID PICTURE CREDIT : ENTOFILM PROF.