Томатний червоний кліщ (Aculops licopersici)
The tomato russet mite (Aculops lycopersici) is a spider—like pest of Solanales, in particular tomatoes. It was first described in Australia in 1937, and by 1940 it had become the most dangerous pest of tomatoes in the central states of the USA, for 15 years it spread throughout America. At the moment, it is distributed all over the world, except latitudes close to the poles. It prevails in regions with a warm climate. It harms crops in open and closed ground. The russet mite got its name for the red-brown colour of the body and the illusion of rust on the leaf with a massive accumulation of the parasite.
Description
The russet tomato mite is tiny. Its length is only 0.15-0.25 mm, and it is simply impossible to detect the pest with the naked eye. The body colour is in the red-brown colour range. Sexual dimorphism is characterized by the size of individuals — males are half the size of females. They feed on plant juices living on both sides of the leaf (prefer the lower part) and stems. With a massive accumulation, you can find a tomato russet mite on the fruits, but the main part of the population will be on the green areas of the plant. One of the features is that they feed on the plant starting from the lower leaves, and then in the process of consumption they move to the top. They move slowly, at a speed of 0.5 cm per minute. But the main way the mite spreads is wind and other insects, as well as inventory. Due to their small size, they are easily carried by gusts of wind. They are also carried by other insect pests, among which the main transport of the tomato mite is whitefly. In certain cases, irrigation water can also serve as a way of moving, given that it takes about 12 hours for a mite to die in the water when fully submerged.
Life cycle
The life span of the adult female tomato russet mite is about 40 days. During this time, she lays about 20-40 eggs. Eggs are impossible to notice, not only because of their tiny size, but also because of their transparent colour. At the egg stage, the russet mite is immune to chemicals. After 7 days, the eggs become larvae, after which they pass into the nymph and imago stage. Considering that the offspring of mites are divided 50/50 by gender, their reproduction occurs exponentially. Accordingly, by the third generation, the number of individuals goes to thousands.
The damage caused
The russet tomato mite has a piercing-sucking oral apparatus, which allows it to pierce the epidermis of the plant and feed on its juices. The mite, along with the juices, sucks out the chlorophyll of the plant, which disrupts the processes of photosynthesis and natural transpiration. The affected tissues die off, and with a massive accumulation of the pest, the whole plant dies. Impaired moisture exchange and photosynthesis do not allow the plant to function and eat normally, which leads to sad consequences.
Detection methods
At first, the mite is based on the lower part of the tomato bush, and in the process of reproduction begins to affect the entire plant. But, since most of the population is located in the lower section, the first signs need to be monitored there. First, there is a deformation of the leaf plates and the appearance of a white shade of colour. As the leaves die off and the forage base shrinks, tomato mites move up the plant. The leaves begin to thin out and acquire a russet coating. The sucking of chlorophyll by mites is characterized by the appearance of white spots on the leaf. With a large population, they can occupy the entire leaf area. It will look like a yellowish-red plaque on the plant.
Methods of struggle
Tomato russet mite is arachnid, so it is resistant to insecticides. At the egg stage, it is resistant to almost all chemicals. As a result, it is necessary to take a very serious approach to the choice of chemical means of protection. Given the resistance of the egg to chemicals, the procedure will need to be repeated repeatedly, and if you add a geometric progression to all this during the reproduction of the species, then also with an enviable frequency.
Biological remedies in such cases have a higher priority due to the naturalness of the method and the absence of negative consequences for the plant and crop. Among the predators that destroy the tomato russet mite, predatory mites of the Phytoseiidae family — Amblyseius montdorensis and Amblyseius andersoni should be distinguished.
Mandatory for use — agrotechnical methods of struggle. It is necessary to carry out crop rotation, control the quality of soil preparation and planting density, carry out soil ploughing and carefully remove plant waste. Careful control and order give excellent results, but at times increase the amount of work performed mechanically.