Predatory arachnids (Gamasida) that are among the most important beneficial insects in viticulture. The insects, which belong to the order of mites, are found on numerous plants. They are characterised by mouthparts with scissor-like graspers as well as by distinct scales on the upper and lower side of the body. The most important representative is the species Typhlodromus pyri, which is about 0.3 to 0.5 millimetres in size. It has a pear-shaped body with four pairs of legs and is milky white to brownish in colour. The females hibernate in the bark of the stem, and in spring the eggs are laid on the undersides of the leaves. The hatched sexual animals mainly feed on the mite species red spider mite and the common spider mite, which are harmful to viticulture, but they also consume the species curly mite and the pox mite as well as grapevine thr ips. After eating red spiders, they turn reddish (picture on the right).
The species Typhlodromus pyri is bred in the laboratory and deliberately released in the vineyard as an environmentally friendly alternative to insecticides within the framework of biological plant protection for the control of these pests. The predatory mites spend the whole year on the vine and are therefore exposed to all adverse influences such as, above all, the use of chemical agents (spraying). This is taken into account in Integrated Pest Management by using as little/no pesticides as possible. See a list of all diseases and pests under Vine Enemies, and for general principles of environmentally friendly cultivation under Organic Viticulture.
Picture right: © W. Neudorff GmbH KG
