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<p>Following the international trade and use of bamboo as exotic ornamentals, several species of bamboo spider mites (<i>Stigmaeopsis</i> spp.) have invaded the Americas and Europe, and their distribution is expanding, particularly across Europe. These mites construct dense silk nests that serve as effective defences against natural enemies, posing challenges for biological control. We evaluated the predatory performance of two commercially available phytoseiid mites native to the Americas and Europe, <i>Phytoseiulus persimilis</i> and <i>Neoseiulus cucumeris</i>, in comparison with <i>Typhlodromus bambusae</i>, a natural enemy of <i>Stigmaeopsis</i> spp. in their native Asian range. <i>Stigmaeopsis</i> spp. show nest size variation among species. For instance, <i>S. longus</i> typically builds larger nests than <i>S. celarius</i>. To consider this difference, we conducted experiments with both species, using nests aged 0, 24, or 72 h to reflect differences in silk density. <i>T. bambusae</i> consistently exhibited high predation on both adult females and eggs across all nest ages. In contrast, <i>P. persimilis</i> showed limited predation, particularly when more elaborate woven nests were present, suggesting difficulty penetrating or entering these structures. <i>N. cucumeris</i> exhibited moderate but variable predation: some individuals preyed on adult females at rates comparable to <i>T. bambusae</i>, and a few also successfully attacked eggs, even in well-developed nests. These findings suggest that nest architecture and silk density strongly influence predator access, and behavioural variation may allow some <i>N. cucumeris</i> individuals to overcome such barriers. Evaluating predator efficacy under varying nest structures offers a useful framework for assessing their potential in managing exotic spider mite invasions.</p>

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The ability of predatory mites to cope with the woven nests of exotic bamboo spider mites

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月28日

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  • Naoki Matsumoto,
  • Peter Schausberger,
  • Yukie Sato

摘要

Following the international trade and use of bamboo as exotic ornamentals, several species of bamboo spider mites (Stigmaeopsis spp.) have invaded the Americas and Europe, and their distribution is expanding, particularly across Europe. These mites construct dense silk nests that serve as effective defences against natural enemies, posing challenges for biological control. We evaluated the predatory performance of two commercially available phytoseiid mites native to the Americas and Europe, Phytoseiulus persimilis and Neoseiulus cucumeris, in comparison with Typhlodromus bambusae, a natural enemy of Stigmaeopsis spp. in their native Asian range. Stigmaeopsis spp. show nest size variation among species. For instance, S. longus typically builds larger nests than S. celarius. To consider this difference, we conducted experiments with both species, using nests aged 0, 24, or 72 h to reflect differences in silk density. T. bambusae consistently exhibited high predation on both adult females and eggs across all nest ages. In contrast, P. persimilis showed limited predation, particularly when more elaborate woven nests were present, suggesting difficulty penetrating or entering these structures. N. cucumeris exhibited moderate but variable predation: some individuals preyed on adult females at rates comparable to T. bambusae, and a few also successfully attacked eggs, even in well-developed nests. These findings suggest that nest architecture and silk density strongly influence predator access, and behavioural variation may allow some N. cucumeris individuals to overcome such barriers. Evaluating predator efficacy under varying nest structures offers a useful framework for assessing their potential in managing exotic spider mite invasions.