Chapter 3.4 Pesticide resistance in eriophyoid mites, their competitors and predators

Publisher Summary The use of pesticides has resulted in selection for physiological resistance in a number of populations of eriophyoid mites of several species. This chapter distinguishes between “resistance,” in which a population initially susceptible to a compound responds to selection pressure by an increase in the frequency of nonsusceptible genotypes, and “tolerance,” in which the physiological mode of action of a chemical is initially not toxic to most of the population. Eriophyoids are known to be innately tolerant to some compounds, which otherwise show broad acaricidal properties towards tetranychids and other mites. Some species may be tolerant to acaricides, which are effective against other eriophyoids; the blueberry rust mite, Acalitus vaccinii , is reported to be tolerant to tetradifon, dicofol, propargite, and chlorobenzilate. Pesticide resistance problems in eriophyoids have not been as severe as in tetranychid mites and other insect pests. However, several factors, including the use of more selective pesticides for spider mite control and the change from acaricidal to non-acaricidal fungicides, may lead to increased problems with eriophyoids in the future.