Özet:

The aim of this study was to determine the seasonal population dynamics of the European red mite, Panonychus ulmi (Koch) (Acari: Tetranychidae) on different apple varieties in apple orchards in Çanakkale, Turkey, during 2010-2011. Surveys were carried out weekly from April to November in sprayed and unsprayed orchards on cultivated Golden Delicious, Starking Delicious and Grany Smith apple varieties. The results of the study indicated that the population density of spider mites began to increase generally in early May, and reached the maximum level from mid June to late August. Afterwards, it preserved to late September in both years. During the both years, P. ulmi more prefered the Starking Delicious than Golden Delicious and Grany Smith apple varieties in the all orchards. In this period, the population densitiy of P. ulmi reached to maximum level with 115.9 and 75.3 mites/per leaf on the Starking Delicious apple variety in 2010 and 2011 years, respectively in sprayed orchards. In unsprayed orchard, spider mites remained at very low levels certainly because of the presence of Typhlodromus athiasae Porath and Swirski (Acari: Phytoseiidae) which was only one predator species on spider mites. On the other hand in sprayed orchards, although Stethorus punctillum (Col.: Coccinellidae) and Zetzellia mali (Acari: Stigmaeidae) were the most abundant predatory species on spider mites, they could not control the spider mites on both apple cultivar and years.

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